trough
trough Lexical Profile
trough Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A long, narrow, open container used to hold food or water for animals.
"The farmer filled the wooden trough with fresh water for the horses."
The lowest point in a regular cycle of activity, such as an economic cycle or a wave.
"The economy finally began to recover after reaching a deep trough during the recession."
A long, narrow depression, such as the hollow between two wave crests or an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure.
"The small boat disappeared from view as it dipped into the deep trough between the ocean waves."
• verb
British To eat greedily or voraciously, often likened to an animal feeding.
"They spent the entire evening troughing on junk food while watching movies."
To form a long, narrow depression or channel in a surface.
"The heavy rains troughed the soft soil, leaving deep furrows across the garden."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused in spelling or pronunciation with similar-looking words like 'through', 'though', or 'tough'. 'Trough' is pronounced to rhyme with 'cough' (/trɒf/ or /trɔːf/).
• Rhymes for trough
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'trough', from Old English 'trog', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'trog' and German 'Trog', from an Indo-European root meaning 'firm' or 'wooden'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.