trough
/trɔf/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A long, narrow, open container: Typically used for holding food or water for animals, or for other practical purposes like mixing. 2. A long, narrow depression or channel: This can refer to a physical feature in the earth, a low point between waves, a low-pressure area in meteorology, or a period of low economic activity. 3. A conduit for carrying away liquid: Specifically, a gutter along the edge of a roof.
Usage and Examples
- As an animal feeder: > The farmer filled the trough with fresh water for the horses.
- As a shallow receptacle: > The baker kneaded the dough in a large wooden trough.
- As a natural or economic low point: > The boat rocked in the trough between two large waves. > The economy is in a trough, with unemployment at its highest point in a decade.
- As a roof channel: > The rainwater flows from the roof into the trough and down the drainpipe.
Advanced Usage
- Meteorological Trough: In weather, a trough is an elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with clouds and precipitation. > A cold trough is moving in from the west, bringing rain.
- Economic/Business Cycle Trough: The lowest point in an economic cycle, marking the end of a period of declining business activity and the transition to recovery. > Analysts believe we have passed the trough of the recession.
Variants and Related Words
- Troughful (n.): The amount that a trough can hold.
- Troughing (n.): The system or material used to make troughs, especially for roofing.
Synonyms
- Manger (specifically for animal feed).
- Channel, duct, gutter (for carrying liquid).
- Depression, dip, hollow, valley (for a low point).
Related Phrases and Compounds
- Feeding trough: Specifically for animals.
- Roof trough: Another term for a gutter.
- Wave trough: The lowest point between wave crests.
- Trough line: The axis of lowest pressure in a meteorological trough.
Idioms
- To be at a trough: To be at a low point or in a state of decline. > Public confidence in the government is at a trough.
Noun
- a container (usually in a barn or stable) from which cattle or horses feed
- a long narrow shallow receptacle
- a treasury for government funds
- a concave shape with an open top
- a channel along the eaves or on the roof; collects and carries away rainwater
- a narrow depression (as in the earth or between ocean waves or in the ocean bed)