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DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

(OP)
Hi to all, good day...  Im confused with the term "trench" and "ditch"... Ive tried to find its definitons but still im not in disarray...  Is TRENCH and DITCH the same ?  Thanks for any comment...

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

I don't know of any "official" defined difference, but I generally think of a trench as being an excavation that is temporary and will be closed or backfilled; whereas, I consider a ditch to be an open excavation intended to remain that way, typically with sloped sides.  Usually a ditch is intended for stormwater management or storage.

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

I am not a native English speaking person,thus short vocabulary,I do admit.

However a 'trench' means to me having more longitudinal dimensions and most usually temporary for various purposes e.g cables laying,pipelines laying etc. jobs and back-filled afterwards.

Whereas a 'ditch' to me means an excavation deeper and somewhat ir-regular shaped;most usually there for longer periods.

However English speaking(Mother tongue)personnel may contribute even more.

Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

I would say a trench is man made and only temporary - where as a ditch may be man made or not and considered permanent.

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

Ditch

NOUN: A long narrow trench or furrow dug in the ground, as for irrigation, drainage, or a boundary line.  
VERB: Inflected forms: ditched, ditch·ing, ditch·es
 
Ditch
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig or make a long narrow trench or furrow in. 2. To surround with a long narrow trench or furrow. 3a. To drive (a vehicle) into a long narrow trench, as one beside a road. b. To derail (a train). 4. Slang a. To get rid of; discard: ditched the old yard furniture. b. To get away from (a person, especially a companion). c. To discontinue use of or association with: ditch the job at the hamburger stand. d. To skip (class or school). 5. To crash-land (an aircraft) on water.  
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig a ditch. 2. To crash-land in water. Used of an aircraft or a pilot.  
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English dich, from Old English


trench
  

NOUN: 1. A deep furrow or ditch. 2. A long narrow ditch embanked with its own soil and used for concealment and protection in warfare. 3. A long, steep-sided valley on the ocean floor.  
VERB: Inflected forms: trenched, trench·ing, trench·es
 
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To cut a trench in. 2. To fortify with trenches. 3. To place in a trench. 4. To make a cut in; carve.  
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig trenches or a trench. 2. To verge or encroach. Often used with on or upon.  
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English trenche, from Old French, from trenchier, to cut, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *trincre, variant of Latin truncre, from truncus, trunk. \
 
 

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

From the Dictionary of Civil Engineering by John C. Scott

Trench – a narrow long excavation with timbered or bare sides, vertical or battered.

Ditch – an excavation made by humans that is long and narrow, such as a channel or trench cut through earth or rock to carry water for drainage or irrigation.
 

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

bimr's references sound better. Ditch is more related to water conveying in civil works.

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

Many years ago I worked for a trencher manufacturer.  I have dug many a trench with a ditch digging machine.  They actually had the word "ditch" in their name.  Most in the USA will recognize who they are - Ditch Witch Trenchers.  Trenching machine and ditching machine were used pretty interchangeably, althought when a ditch was dug by humans, with it naturally being less well defined than a tranch excavated by a trenching machine, it was never referred to as a trench, it was always a ditch.  A crew of ditch diggers (yes there was such a thing back then) was never called a crew of trenchers.

To me, a trench is something that is dug with specialty machinery specifically with the intent that it be refilled when a pipe or wire or etc that is to be buried is inserted while a ditch is dug with the intent that it always remain open as a channel for flow.

But that is just me.  I didn't get that out of any dictionary, just from lots of dirt that I have moved.  Oh, yes, sorry, I remember that this is a Civil Engineering forum, sorry - soil, that is.

rmw

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

Ditch - User (water) friendly.
Trench - No (water), thanks.

RE: DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

(OP)
Im so thankful of you guys for your great replies...  I'll sum it up and made a generalization...
Thanks Ron, 786392, MiketheEngineer, cvg, bimr, rmw and kslee1000 for all your efforts...  Keep doing these Sirs, you help a lot...  Thank you...

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