trompe

American

[tromp] / trɒmp /

noun

Metallurgy. a device formerly used for inducing a blast of air upon the hearth of a forge by means of a current of falling water.

trompe British

/ trɒmp /

noun

an apparatus for supplying the blast of air in a forge, consisting of a thin column down which water falls, drawing in air through side openings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of trompe

Borrowed into English from French around 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

trompe

“Labyrinth” is fortified with trompe l’oeil wonders, but none are as powerful as a dream sequence resulting from Sarah lapsing into a hallucination after she bites into an enchanted peach.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026

Mainly the trip to this trompe l’oeil house of mystery feels like a detour, though Mr. Freeman’s presence makes it bearable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

Every wardrobe needs a touch of trompe l’oeil.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2025

Our eyes continue to be dazzled by optical tricks, such as trompe l’oeil patterns that collapse dimensions.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 19, 2024

Brahe’s observatory: the curved scale is a quadrant for measuring elevations that is built into the wall; inside it is a trompe I’oeil section of Brahe’s observatory, with a giant figure of Brahe himself.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023