TRUSS, noun 1. In a general sense, a bundle; as a truss of hay or straw. A truss of hay in England is half a hundred. A truss of straw is of different weights in different places. 2. In surgery, a bandage or apparatus used in cases of ruptures, to keep up the reduced parts and hinder further protrusion, and for other purposes. 3. Among botanists, a truss or bunch is a tuft of flowers formed at the top of the main stalk or stem of certain plants. 4. In navigation, a machine to pull a lower yard close to its mast and retain it firmly in that position. 5. [See Trous.] TRUSS, verb transitive To bind or pack close. 1. To skewer; to make fast. To truss up, to strain; to make close or tight.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI