trunk line

noun

1. a major long-distance transportation line.

2. trunk.

trunk line

noun

1. a direct link between two telephone exchanges or switchboards that are a considerable distance apart

2. the main route or routes on a railway

Word History and Origins

Origin of trunk line¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

“So the consumption of water was faster than we can provide water in a trunk line.”

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Quiñones said four times the usual demand for water on the trunk line over a 15-hour period led to drops in water pressure.

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Stationmasters along that part of Greece’s main trunk line communicate with each other and with train drivers via two-way radios, and the switches are operated manually.

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“Opening up the trunk lines and putting all that in, it’s not what people care about or want to see.”

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Department of Water and Power has also installed more earthquake-resistant mainline and trunk line pipes in recent years, intended to keep hospitals and other critical sites operating after a quake.

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