trough: Meaning and Definition of

trough

1. a long, narrow, open receptacle, usually boxlike in shape, used chiefly to hold water or food for animals.
2. any of several similarly shaped receptacles used for various commercial or household purposes.
3. a channel or conduit for conveying water, as a gutter under the eaves of a building for carrying away rain water.
4. any long depression or hollow, as between two ridges or waves.
5. a long, wide, and deep depression in the ocean floor having gently sloping sides, wider and shallower than a trench. Cf.(def. 4).
6. an elongated area of relatively low pressure.
7. the lowest point, esp. in an economic cycle.