Intrench

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To place in a strong or protected position by digging trenches or fortifications around it
2. To establish in a secure location by creating ditches or earthworks for defense
3. To fix firmly in place by surrounding with dugout defenses or protective barriers

Etymology: "Intrench" is simply an older spelling of "entrench," and the two forms have been in use since the 1550s. The verb is built from two English parts: the prefix "en-," which turns a noun into a verb meaning "put into or onto," and "trench," a ditch dug to defend a position. To entrench is therefore to put oneself into a trench, and the military sense of digging in for defense is the original one that the word's structure points to. The spelling "intrench" reflects the same prefix written with "in-," a common variant in early modern English that was gradually replaced by "en-" in standard usage. Both forms describe the same act of settling into a defended ditch, and the older spelling shows how closely the verb is tied to the physical trench it names.

Synonyms: entrench, establish

Antonyms: remove, unsettle