*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of truss

From Middle English trusse, from Old French trousse, torse, from Vulgar Latin *torsus, variant of Classical Latin tortus, past participle of torqueō. Doublet of torse and trousse.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A bandage and belt used to hold a hernia in place. · A structure made up of one or more triangular units made from straight beams of wood or metal, which is used to support a structure as in a roof or bridge. · A triangular bracket. · An old English farming measurement. One truss of straw equalled 36 pounds, a truss of old hay equalled 56 pounds, a truss of new hay equalled 60 pounds, and 36 trusses equalled one load.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English trusse, from Old French trousse, torse, from Vulgar Latin *torsus, variant of Classical Latin tortus, past participle of torqueō. Doublet of torse and trousse.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 5 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*terkʷ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "trusse"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English trusse"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "trousse"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French trousse"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*torsus"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *torsus"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-cla",
        "3": "tortus"
      },
      "expansion": "Classical Latin tortus"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "torse",
        "3": "trousse"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of torse and trousse"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "trusse",
      "trusse#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "trousse",
      "trousse#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "torse",
      "torse#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*torsus",
      "Reconstruction:Latin/torsus"
    ],
    [
      "tortus",
      "tortus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "torqueō",
      "torqueo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "torse",
      "torse#English"
    ],
    [
      "trousse",
      "trousse#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A bandage and belt used to hold a hernia in place.",
        "A structure made up of one or more triangular units made from straight beams of wood or metal, which is used to support a structure as in a roof or bridge.",
        "A triangular bracket.",
        "An old English farming measurement. One truss of straw equalled 36 pounds, a truss of old hay equalled 56 pounds, a truss of new hay equalled 60 pounds, and 36 trusses equalled one load."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c3059150c392e7b1c01021ac130bdde66266adba5c88aa6ca4cb26c12375fda1",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f3555a2bbfe91d7ea82cf56fe213d95801c086a353530be835a50b2c0a82e897",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 343743
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 5,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To tie up a bird before cooking it. · To secure or bind with ropes. · To support. · To take fast hold of; to seize and hold firmly; to pounce upon.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English trussen, from Old French trousser.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "trussen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English trussen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "trousser"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French trousser"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "trussen",
      "trussen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "trousser",
      "trousser#Old_French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To tie up a bird before cooking it.",
        "To secure or bind with ropes.",
        "To support.",
        "To take fast hold of; to seize and hold firmly; to pounce upon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "e27da9f8e5b2b4be68aa39399851ba5ffbe5b93c0989ec849bbd9b785a717002",
      "rawRecordSha256": "01a4e44e15cd16e516cd255071067c55b17aece8643a4ad283e187e5951a7be2",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 343744
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 2,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for truss →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dHJ1c3M