Where does “microtrench” come from?

microtrench (English) comes from English trench, from Old French trenche, from Old French trenchier, from Vulgar Latin trinicare, from Latin trini, from Latin tres, from English three, from Middle English thre.

microtrench (English): A microscopic trench

Definitions

  1. A microscopic trench

Ancestry of “microtrench”, step by step

microtrench traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English trench

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtrenchA long, narrow ditch or hole dug in the ground; A...
2Old Frenchtrenchetrench; first-person singular present indicative...
3Old Frenchtrenchierto cut
4Vulgar Latintrinicarecut into three parts; cut in three parts
5Latintrininominative masculine plural of trīnus; genitive...
6Latintresthree; 3
7EnglishthreeA numerical value after two and before four....
8Middle Englishthrethree
9Old Englishþrīthree
10Proto-West Germanicþrīʀthree
11Proto-Germanicþrīzthree
12Proto-Indo-European*tréyes

via English micro

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmicroSmall, relatively small; short form of...
2Ancient Greekμικρόςlittle, small
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes