Trough
/trɒf/noun
A long, narrow open container or a low point between waves, hills, or economic cycles.
Did you know?The English word *trough* comes from the same ancient root as *tree*, showing how a word for a carved wooden vessel grew into today’s image of the lowest point in a cycle.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deru-
“tree; wood; something made of wood”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*treugaz / *treuhaz
“a wooden vessel or trough (a carved wooden container)”
Old English
OE
trōh / trōg
“a wooden trough, tray, or hollowed-out container”
Middle English
ME
trough
“a wooden or metal container for food, water, or animal feed”
Modern English
English
trough
“a long, narrow container; also a low point in a wave, cycle, or curve”