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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025

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

Gravity alone carries wastewater to a nearby trunk line, said Russell Grayson, the Bend city engineer.

From Washington Times • Mar. 6, 2016

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

The convoys to the east coast took a trunk line that passed up the English Channel.

From The Victory At Sea by Hendrick, Burton J.