Trunkline
/ˈtrʌŋk.laɪn/noun
A main transportation or utility line, especially one that carries traffic, freight, or services over a long distance.
Did you know?The first half, trunk, comes from a Latin word for a tree’s body or a large container, while line comes from Latin linea, originally a thread of flax — so a trunkline is literally a ‘main body-thread’ of infrastructure.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
truncus
“tree trunk, stump; body of a person or animal”
Old French
Old French
tronc
“trunk, box, chest; also a tree stump”
Middle English
English
trunke
“a large stem, torso, or chest-like container”
Latin
Latin
linea
“linen thread; a thread-like line”
Middle English
English
line
“a cord, thread, or drawn mark”
Modern English
English
trunkline
“a main line or principal route in a transport or utility network”