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Glite Dictionary
📞 Main phone connection 🚆 Main railway route
trunk line

trunk line

6.4
A main phone line connecting phone centers to carry many calls
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : línea troncal
  • The new trunk line was installed last week!

Examples

  • Engineers worked overnight to repair the damaged trunk line connecting the two exchanges.

  • The company upgraded its trunk line to handle increased call volume between cities.

  • A fault in the trunk line can disrupt service across large regions.

  • Did you check the trunk line for any issues?

  • The trunk line provides a reliable connection for calls between major cities.

  • During the upgrade, technicians had to replace the old trunk lines to improve call quality.

  • Each office is connected to a central switchboard via a trunk line to route multiple calls.

Synonyms

phone line
vstrunk line
73 1.6

A wire that carries telephone calls between two places

is a main connection linking exchanges and routing multiple calls
telephone line
vstrunk line
13 1.8

A wire that carries voices so people can call each other

is a main connection that links exchanges and routes many calls

How Important

backbone
  • Specialized
17 5.0
trunk line
  • Specialized
6.4
subscriber line
  • Specialized
1 4.0

Surface Forms

trunk line singular
trunk lines plural

Morphology

trunk + line

The components 'trunk' (main/central) and 'line' (a channel or connection) combine to yield a general idea of a main communication line, so a B1 learner who knows both words can likely infer the broad sense. However, the specific telephony function (a line that connects exchanges and carries multiple calls) is somewhat technical and not fully predictable from everyday senses, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The telephone meaning of trunk line uses the same idea: the thick trunk is the main cable and smaller 'branch' lines go off to homes or local offices. That's why a trunk line means a main phone line that 'connects' phone centers and carries many calls.