detrench

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English.

Verb

detrench (third-person singular simple present detrenches, present participle detrenching, simple past and past participle detrenched)

1. To cut off or slice; to sever.
   • 1653, William Basse, “Urania, the Woman in the Moone: In Four Cantoes, or Quarters”, in J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, The Pastorals and Other Workes of William Basse. […] (Miscellaneous Tracts, Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I), [London: s.n.], published 1870, →OCLC, canto 1 (New Moone), stanza 12, page 81:

     That I as well may furnish good mens needs / With bleſſings, as detrench th'abuſed ſtore / Of thankles caytiffes; crowne true vertues deeds / With honour, and on vice my vengeance poure.

   • 1655, Edward Dod, Henry Seile, The Reign of King Charles:

     But these proceeding against him did not give plenary satisfaction to all, most cryed aloud for a Reformation in the Hierarchy it self, many would detrench from them their secular power, and votes in Parliament, name some were male-content unlesse the hole order were eradicated; and this was now vehemently pressed by the City Petition, now under consideration of the Committee: a mighty debate there was about this time in the House of Commons upon this Subject, and no arguments omitted which might officiate to either end; among the rest Espiscopacy had not a faster friend, nor the City Petition a stouter Antagonist, then the Lird Digby, who spake for the one and against the other no man to better purpose, and summarily thus.

   • 1952, Eric Rücker Eddison, The worm Ouroboros: a romance, page 362:

     In which instant he beheld sidelong how the cruel murtherer smote with his spear that delicate lady, and detrenched and cut the two master-veins of her neck, so as she fell dying in her blood.

2. To render something that was entrenched less thoroughly established.
   • 1955, The Forum, page 2:

     They found themselves caught up in a mesh of arguments about entrenching, re-entrenching and detrenching, with all the relevant permutations and combinations.

   • 1980, Sierra Leone:

     Worthwhile amendments to some detrenched clauses affecting the Judiciary in the Republican Constitution are being studied carefully, and Bills will be laid before Parliament during the current session.

   • 1985, The Journal of Developing Areas, volume 20, page 106:

     How do interests coalesce, how do they achieve or fail to achieve entrenchment, how are they detrenched when their day is done?

Etymology 2

de- +‎ trench

Verb

detrench (third-person singular simple present detrenches, present participle detrenching, simple past and past participle detrenched)

1. To dig out and remove from a trench.
   • 1979, Institution of Electrical Engineers. Electronics Division, International Conference on Submarine Telecommunications Systems:

     In some cases these cables still become damaged and this results in lengths of cable having to be detrenched.

   • 1994, Oceanic Engineering Society, Oceans '94: Oceans Engineering for Today's Technology and Tomorrow's Preservation, →ISBN:

     Ultimately, the system would have the capability to carry out the complete intervention process, from detrenching a pipeline to final inspection and corrosion protection.

   • 2015, Jose Chesnoy, Undersea Fiber Communication Systems, →ISBN, page 642:

     If a buried cable is damaged it will be necessary to detrench it before repair can be undertaken.

2. (military) To force (an army) out of trenches, or to be so forced out.
   • 1936, Henry Williamson, The Flax of Dream: A Novel in Four Books, page 748:

     Verey lights, no longer needed by the detrenched army, soared with them, descending in wavy pools of radiance.

   • 1942, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, page 69:

     There was particularly heavy fighting in the Smolensk direction, where our units detrenched the enemy from their positions with a succession of counterattacks.

   • 2004, Computer Gaming World - Volumes 138-143:

     keep the defense on the move and force them to detrench, defending stack at a time, to ensure a quick success for the TOP-UP infantry attack.

Anagrams

• trenched