TRENCHER (M. Eng. trenchour, trenchere, &c.,O. Fr. trencheoir trenchoier, a

See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place on which to cut up

See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food, from trencher, mod. 'rancher, to cut, probably from

See also:

• LAT

Lat. truncare, lop, cut off, or from transecare, to cut across)  , a platter, being a flat piece of wood, in its earliest form square, later circular, on which food was carved or cut up and served . These wooden " trenchers " took the place of earlier ones which were thick slices of coarse bread; these, after being soaked with the gravy and juices from the meat and other food were eaten or thrown to the alms basket for the poor . The wooden trencher went out of use on the introduction of pottery and later of porcelain plates . At Winchester College, the old square beechwood trenchers are still in use . The potters of the 18th century made earthenware plates very flat and with a shallow rim; these were known as " trencher plates." " Trencher salt-cellars " were the small salts placed near each person for use, as opposed to the ornamental " standing " salts . For " trench," a ditch, and " entrenchment," see FORTIFICATION AND SIEGECRAFT .