trunnel
9.9
A wooden peg that holds wood pieces together by swelling when wet
- noun
- Specialized
:
tranel
- The shipwright carefully inserted each trunnel to ensure the timbers were securely bound together.
Examples
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In those days, the members knew what trunnels were and knew the source of the oak, etc.
Blog text (14) -
Capped with trunnels.
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During the restoration of the old boat, they replaced the damaged trunnels with new wooden pegs.
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In shipbuilding, a trunnel is essential, as it swells when wet to provide a tight fit between the planks.
Synonyms
9.9
A wooden peg used to hold pieces of wood together by swelling when wet
has identical meaning but is a different written form
9.9
A wooden peg that holds wood beams together and swells when wet
is used mainly in shipbuilding rather than in carpentry
How Secure
Surface Forms
Etymology
Trunnel comes from old words for tree and nail, so it literally means a wooden 'nail' or peg. That's why a trunnel is a wooden peg used in shipbuilding that swells when wet to hold the timbers tightly together.