Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RE-TRENCH'MENT, a. [Fr. retrenchment; Sp. atrincheramiento.]

1. The act of lopping off; the act of removing what is superfluous; as, the retrenchment of words or lines in a writing. – Dryden. Addison.
2. The act of curtailing, lessening or abridging; diminution; as, the retrenchment of expenses.
3. In military affairs, any work raised to cover a post and fortify it against an enemy; such as fascines, gabions, sandbags and the like. – Encyc. Numerous remains of Roman retrenchments, constructed to cover the country. – D'Anville, Trans.