[truss] vt [ME, fr. OF trousser, tourser to bundle, pack, fr. (assumed) VL torsare, fr. torsus twisted--more at torsade] (13c) 1 a: to secure tightly: bind b: to arrange for cooking by binding close the wings or legs of (a fowl)
2: to support, strengthen, or stiffen by or as if by a truss -- truss.er n
[2]truss n (13c) 1: an iron band around a lower mast with an attachment by which a yard is secured to the mast
2. a: bracket 1 b: an assemblage of members (as beams) forming a rigid framework
3: a device worn to reduce a hernia by pressure
4: a compact flower or fruit cluster