Standard Lemma guide

trough

noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /tɹɒf/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /tɹɔf/ without the cot–caught merger
  • cot-caught-merger: /tɹɑf/
  • Midwest Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • dialectal: /tɹɑf/ of Canada
  • Canada, dialectal: /tɹɒf/ of the US
  • US, dialectal: trôth without the cot–caught merger
  • US, dialectal: /tɹɔθ/ without the cot–caught merger
  • US, cot-caught-merger, dialectal: /tɹɑθ/
  • Australian: /tɹɔf/
  • New-Zealand: /tɹɒf/
  • New-Zealand: [tɹɔ̟f]
  • rhymes with -ɒf
  • CMU ARPABET: T R AO1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A long, narrow container, open on top, for feeding or watering animals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • One of Harriet's chores was to slop the pigs' trough each morning and evening.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any similarly shaped container.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any similarly shaped container.

A rectangular container used for washing or rinsing clothes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, New-Zealand

Examples

  • Ernest threw his paint brushes into a kind of trough he had fashioned from sheet metal that he kept in the sink.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A short, narrow canal designed to hold water until it drains or evaporates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • There was a small trough that the sump pump emptied into; it was filled with mosquito larvae.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An undivided metal urinal (plumbing fixture)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A gutter under the eaves of a building; an eaves trough.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada

Examples

  • The troughs were filled with leaves and needed clearing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A channel for conveying water or other farm liquids (such as milk) from place to place by gravity; any ‘U’ or ‘V’ cross-sectioned irrigation channel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, New-Zealand

Topics: agriculture, business, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A long, narrow depression between waves or ridges; the low portion of a wave cycle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The buoy bobbed between the crests and troughs of the waves moving across the bay.
  • The neurologist pointed to a troubling trough in the pattern of his brain-waves.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A low turning point or a local minimum of a business cycle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: economics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: peak

10

noun

Meaning 10

A linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

Alternative letter-case form of trough.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To eat in a vulgar style, as if from a trough.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He troughed his way through three meat pies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a channel along the eaves or on the roof; collects and carries away rainwater

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gutter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: channel

Narrower terms: chute, slide, slideway, sloping trough, cullis

14

noun

Meaning 14

a container (usually in a barn or stable) from which cattle or horses feed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: container

Narrower terms: bunk, feed bunk

15

noun

Meaning 15

a long narrow shallow receptacle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: receptacle

Narrower terms: rocker, cradle

16

noun

Meaning 16

a narrow depression (as in the earth or between ocean waves or in the ocean bed)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: natural depression, depression

Narrower terms: swale

17

noun

Meaning 17

a treasury for government funds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: public treasury, till

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: treasury, exchequer

18

noun

Meaning 18

a concave shape with an open top

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bowl

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: concave shape, concavity, incurvation, incurvature

History

Etymology

PIE word *dóru From Middle English trogh, from Old English troh, trog (“a trough, tub, basin, vessel for containing liquids or other materials”), from Proto-West Germanic *trog, from Proto-Germanic *trugą, *trugaz, from Proto-Indo-European *drukós, enlargement of *dóru (“tree”). See also West Frisian trôch, Dutch trog, German Trog, Danish trug, Swedish tråg; also Middle Irish drochta (“wooden basin”), Old Armenian տարգալ (targal, “ladle, spoon”). More at tree.

Across languages

Translations

227 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: koritë — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Albanian: lug — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Arabic: فِنْطَاس (finṭās) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Armenian: տաշտ (tašt) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Armenian: կերակրատաշտ (kerakratašt) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Armenian: գուռ (guṙ) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Basque: ganbela — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Belarusian: кары́та (karýta) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Bulgarian: корито (korito) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Catalan: cóm — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Catalan: obi — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Catalan: menjadora — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Catalan: grípia — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Catalan: conc — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Chickasaw: piini' — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Chinese Mandarin: 槽 (cáo) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Chinese Mandarin: 料槽 (liàocáo) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Chinese Mandarin: 飼槽 /饲槽 (sìcáo) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Chuvash: такана (tak̬ana) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Crimean Tatar: oluq — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Czech: koryto — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Czech: žlab — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Danish: trug — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Dutch: trog — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Esperanto: trogo — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Finnish: kaukalo — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • French: auge — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • French: abreuvoir — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: barcal — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: manxadoiro — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: pexegueira — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: presel — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: cambeleira — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: bebedoiro — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: augadoiro — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: pía — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Galician: baño — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • German: Trog — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • German: Futtertrog — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • German: Mulde — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • German: Barme — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Ancient Greek: φάτνη (phátnē) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Ancient Greek: γοῦρνα (goûrna) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Gujarati: હવાડો (havāḍo) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Hebrew: שוקת (shòket) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Hebrew: רַהַט (ráhat) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Hungarian: vályú — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Icelandic: jata — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Ingrian: allas — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Irish: trach — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Italian: trogolo — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Italian: abbeveratoio — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Japanese: かいばおけ (kaibaoke) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • S'gaw Karen: ကျီး (klaẅ) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Korean: 구유 (guyu) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Latin: canālēs — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Latin: alveus — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Latvian: sile — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Macedonian: ко́рито (kórito) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Māori: waka — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Māori: hake — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Mongolian: тэвш (tevš) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Khiamniungan Naga: yōhchìu — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Norwegian Bokmål: trau — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: trau — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Old English: trog — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Oromo: bidiruu — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Persian: آبشخور (âbešxôr) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Polish: koryto — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Polish: żłób — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Portuguese: cocheira — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Portuguese: comedouro — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Portuguese: cocho — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Romanian: troacă — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Romanian: adăpătoare — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Romanian: vălău — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Russian: коры́то (korýto) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Russian: лоха́нь (loxánʹ) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Russian: корму́шка (kormúška) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Scottish Gaelic: amar — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Serbo-Croatian: korito — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Serbo-Croatian: корито — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Serbo-Croatian: valov — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Sicilian: abbiviraturi — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Sicilian: gebbia — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Sicilian: scifu — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Slovak: koryto — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Slovak: žľab — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Slovak: hrant — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Slovene: korito — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Lower Sorbian: kóryto — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Upper Sorbian: korto — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Spanish: comedero — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Spanish: abrevadero — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Spanish: pesebre — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Swedish: tråg — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Swedish: ho — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Swedish: matho — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Swedish: vattenho — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Turkish: yalak — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Ottoman Turkish: تكنه (tekne) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Ottoman Turkish: یالاق (yalak) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Ukrainian: кори́то (korýto) — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Vietnamese: máng — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Vietnamese: máng ăn — a long, narrow, open container for feeding animals
  • Bulgarian: корито (korito) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Chickasaw: piini' — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Danish: kar — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Danish: trug — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Finnish: kaukalo — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Galician: maseira — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Galician: manxadoira — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Galician: baño — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • German: Trog — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Greek: σκάφη (skáfi) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Hebrew: אבוס (evús) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Hungarian: teknő — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Ingrian: allas — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Italian: madia — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Italian: tinozza — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Italian: mastello — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Latin: linter — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Macedonian: ко́рито (kórito) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Norwegian: kar — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Norwegian: trau — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Polish: koryto — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Polish: żłób — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Portuguese: cocho — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Russian: жёлоб (žólob) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Russian: кюве́тка (kjuvétka) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Russian: ва́нночка (vánnočka) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Scottish Gaelic: amar — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Serbo-Croatian: korito — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Sicilian: gebbia — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Sicilian: vacila — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Sicilian: pila — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Sicilian: scifu — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Lower Sorbian: kóryto — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Spanish: batea — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Swedish: tråg — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Ottoman Turkish: تكنه (tekne) — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Unami: kwënënchu — a long, narrow container open at the top
  • Bulgarian: канавка (kanavka) — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Danish: rende — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Galician: suarego — short, narrow drainage canal
  • German: Graben — short, narrow drainage canal
  • German: Rinne — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Italian: canale di scolo — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Norwegian: renne — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Polish: rów — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Russian: кана́ва (kanáva) — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Russian: жёлоб (žólob) — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Serbo-Croatian: rov — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Sicilian: canali — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Sicilian: canaluni — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Sicilian: lavanaru — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Spanish: canal — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Swedish: ränna — short, narrow drainage canal
  • Bulgarian: улук (uluk) — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Bulgarian: водосток (vodostok) — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Danish: tagrende — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Finnish: kouru — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • French: gouttière — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Galician: canlón — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • German: Dachrinne — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Hebrew: מרזב (marzév) — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Italian: grondaia — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Italian: gronda — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Latvian: rene — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Latvian: tekne — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Latvian: notekrene — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Norwegian: takrenne — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Polish: rynna — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Portuguese: calha — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Russian: жёлоб (žólob) — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Serbo-Croatian: žljeb — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Sicilian: canala — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Sicilian: canalata — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Spanish: canaleta — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Swedish: takränna — a gutter under the eaves of a building
  • Bulgarian: падина (padina) — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Catalan: buida — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Danish: bølgedal — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Finnish: aallonpohja — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Finnish: pohja — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • French: creux — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Galician: val — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • German: Wellental — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Italian: avvallamento — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Italian: fossa — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Latvian: dziļvaga — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Latvian: ieplaka — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Macedonian: па́дина (pádina) — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Māori: ngao — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Māori: awaawa — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Norwegian: bølgedal — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Polish: dolina — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Portuguese: vale — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Russian: впа́дина (vpádina) — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Russian: котлови́на (kotlovína) — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Serbo-Croatian: dol — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Sicilian: vaḍḍuni — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Sicilian: fossu — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Slovak: dolina — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Slovak: údolie — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Slovak: úval — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Slovak: úžľabina — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Spanish: valle — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Swedish: vågdal — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Tagalog: lambak — a long, narrow depression between waves or ridges
  • Catalan: tàlveg — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Chinese Mandarin: 低壓槽 /低压槽 (dīyācáo) — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Czech: brázda — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Danish: lavtryksudløber — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Danish: trug — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Finnish: matalapaineen alue — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • French: thalweg — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • German: Tiefdruckrinne — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • German: Trog — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Italian: superficie di attraversamento — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Norwegian: lavtrykksrenne — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Polish: niż — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Polish: zatoka (niskiego ciśnienia) — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Portuguese: cavado — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Russian: ложби́на (ložbína) — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Spanish: vaguada — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front
  • Swedish: tråg — a linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front