1. To cut off; to pare away. Thy exuberant parts retrench. Denham.
2. To lessen; to abridge; to curtail; as, to retrench superfluities or expenses. But this thy glory shall be soon retrenched. Milton.
3. To confine; to limit; to restrict. Addison. These figures, ought they then to receive a retrenched interpretation I. Taylor.
4. (Fort.)
Defn: To furnish with a retrenchment; as, to retrench bastions.
Syn.
— To lesen; diminish; curtail; abridge.
RETRENCH
Re*trench", v. i.
Defn: To cause or suffer retrenchment; specifically, to cut down living expenses; as, it is more reputable to retrench than to live embarrassed.
RETRENCHMENT
Re*trench"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. retrenchment.]
1. The act or process of retrenching; as, the retrenchment of words in a writing. The retrenchment of my expenses will convince you that Walpole.