What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
treenail
Example
The shipwright hammered the treenails into place to secure the planks. [treenails: noun]
Example
The carpenter used treenails to join the legs of the table to the tabletop. [treenails: plural noun]
trunnel
Example
The boat builder inserted the trunnels through the planks to hold them in place. [trunnels: plural noun]
Example
The woodworker used a trunnel to join the two pieces of wood together. [trunnel: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Treenail is more commonly used than trunnel in everyday language, especially in shipbuilding and furniture making contexts. However, trunnel is still used in traditional woodworking and boat building, particularly in North America.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between treenail and trunnel?
Both treenail and trunnel are relatively formal terms that are typically used in technical or specialized contexts related to woodworking, boat building, or timber framing.
