v.
Pronunciation: ' tra-m ə l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tramayle, a kind of net, from Old French tramail, from Late Latin tremaculum, from Latin tres three + macula mesh, spot ― more at THREE
Date: 14th century
1 : a net for catching birds or fish especially : one having three layers with the middle one finer-meshed and slack so that fish passing through carry some of the center net through the coarser opposite net and are trapped
2 : an adjustable pothook for a fireplace crane
3 : a shackle used for making a horse amble
4 : something impeding activity, progress, or freedom : RESTRAINT ― usually used in plural
5 a : an instrument for drawing ellipses b : a compass for drawing large circles that consists of a beam with two sliding parts ― usually used in plural c : any of various gauges used for aligning or adjusting machine parts