Dictionary

trencher-man en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹɛnt͡ʃə(ɹ)mən/

Etymology

From trencher + -man.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A feeder; a great eater; a gormandizer.
   • Shakespeare's Falstaff is a famous trencher-man.
   • BEATRICE. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it; he is a very valiant trencher-man; he hath an excellent stomach. 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
   • "Holy Clerk," said the stranger, after the first cup was thus swallowed, "I cannot but marvel that a man possessed of such thews and sinews as thine, and who therewithal shows the talent of so goodly a trencher-man, should think of abiding by himself in this wilderness. In my judgment, you are fitter to keep a castle or a fort, eating of the fat and drinking of the strong, than to live here upon pulse and water, or even upon the charity of the keeper. 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:
2. (obsolete) A cook.
   • The skilfullest trencher-men of Media. a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
3. (obsolete) A table companion; a tablemate.
   • Mr. Wagg, the celebrated wit, and a led captain and trencher-man of my Lord Steyne, was caused by the ladies to charge her; and the worthy fellow, leering at his patronesses, and giving them a wink, as much as to say, "Now look out for sport," 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 51, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

trenchermanship

Synonyms

glutton

Translations (6)

bg лакомник (person who eats a substantial amount) · ga méadlachán (person who eats a substantial amount) · ga fear mórshách (person who eats a substantial amount) · pt comilão (person who eats a substantial amount) · ru едо́к (person who eats a substantial amount) · nl slokop (person who eats a substantial amount)