Also 4–5 tramm(e, (traimm(e, traum(e), 4–9 trame. [a. F. trame, OF. traime, trème, 12th c. in Godef., Compl., (as in the late sense 1) woof of a web, also fig. cunning device or contrivance, machination, plot:—L. trāma woof. The literal sense of Fr. and L. appears in Eng. only in a technical use from mod.Fr, in 17th c.; but the fig. sense of ‘machination’ was adopted already in the 14th c., and app. gave rise to sense 3, which does not occur in French, but seems to belong here.]
I. 1. Woof or weft; spec. silk thread consisting of two or more single strands loosely twisted together; used for the weft or cross threads of the best silk goods. Also tram silk.
1679. Lond. Gaz., No. 1392/4. 6l. of fine black Worsted, some pounds of Raw trame.
1776–83. Justamond, trans. Raynal’s Hist. Indies, III. 164. The silks of Naples, Sicily and Reggio, whether in organzin or in tram, are all ordinary silks.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. Customs (1821), 214. Tram silk is considered in London as thrown silk, but not as organzine thrown silk.
1868. Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869), 289. Two or three threads of raw silk twisted loosely two or four times to the inch is tram, shute, or woof.
1911. Alice Dryden, Church Embroidery, 91. For working faces ‘tram’ silk should be used.
II. Chiefly north. dial. and Sc. † 2. A cunning contrivance or device; a machination, plot, scheme.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 3. Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt.
1616. J. Maitland, Apol. W. Maitl. of Lethington, in Misc. (S. H. S., 1904) 187. That plot and trame to thamselfs and to manie others.
1866. J. E. Brogden, Provinc. Words Lincoln., Trame, ‘gillery.’
† 3. A mechanical contrivance; a machine, an engine; an implement, instrument, tool; in quot. 13[?], tackle or gear of a ship. (Chiefly in pl.)
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 101. Then he tron on þo tres & þay her tramme ruchen.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 245. He gert engynis and trammys ma [= make].
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 127. He toke traimmes him with to tute in þe sternes, Astralabus algate as his arte wald, Quadrentis coruen all of qu[h]yte siluyre full quaynte. Ibid., 286. Þus as he tuke furth his toylis [= tools] & his trammys schewis. Ibid., 1296. Ser Balaan … Buskes him in breneis with big men of armes, With traumes [v.r. trawynns] & with tribochetis þe tild [v.r. towre] to asaile. Ibid., 1373. Quen he had tiȝt vp þis tram [v.r. trame (i.e., a siege-tower)] & þis tild rerid.
