The act of lopping off; the act of removing what is superfluous; as the retrenchment of words or lines in a writing.

The act of curtailing, lessening or abridging; diminution; as the retrenchment of expenses.

In military affairs, any work raised to cover a post and fortify it against an enemy; such as fascines, gabions, sandbags and the like. Numerous remains of Roman retrenchments, constructed to cover the country - .