entrenching tool
1
6.6
- noun
- /ɪnˈtrɛnʧɪŋ tuːl/
- Specialized
:
pala de trinchera
- military entrenching tool
Examples
-
We'd got no entrenching tools or shovels, of course, so we made do with a bayonet and a mess tin.
-
Apparently, all Pacific troops were issued the fixed-handle entrenching tool and the long WWI bayonets.
Blog text (11) -
The soldier grabbed his entrenching tool and started to dig a trench for cover.
-
With her entrenching tool in hand, she prepared to dig a defensive position in the soft soil.
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He carefully unfolded his entrenching tool before starting to dig a foxhole during the training exercise.
Synonyms
∞
1.1
A thing you hold to do a job, like a hammer
A small narrow shovel soldiers use to dig trenches
How Portable
10
4.8
- Specialized
1
6.6
- UK
25
1.0
- Specialized
9
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'entrenching' (to dig/fortify trenches) plus 'tool' (an implement) yields 'a tool for entrenching/ digging trenches'. The gerund modifier pattern X‑ing + tool (a tool for X) is a regular, cross-linguistically common formation, so a learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Entrenching tool is a small folding spade soldiers carry to dig trenches or holes for cover. The name comes from entrenching ('to dig in') and tool, because soldiers used it to make a protected spot, so the phrase makes you think of digging to defend.