trunk line

American  

noun

1. a major long-distance transportation line.

2. trunk.

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trunk line British  

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

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Etymology

Origin of trunk line

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

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.

From Washington Times • Mar. 5, 2023

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2021

This trunk line system is still in effect, and New York City has John Tauranac to thank for the easy-to-read maps of today.

From Fox News • Dec. 6, 2018

Like a utility trunk line, it is a bundle of thin strands that attach to an array of facial muscles.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 5, 2015

A contract for a trunk line from Canton to Hankow was negotiated in the latter part of 1898 by an American company.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2 "Chicago, University of" to "Chiton" by Various