[American Sp. trapíche, derivative of L. trapētum oil-press.]
1. A mill for crushing the sugar-cane; a sugar-mill; also, a sugar plantation.
1648. Gage, West Ind., 179. There was in my time a new Trapiche of Sugar.
1844. Brantz Mayer, Mexico, 197. On the east is another huge edifice where the boilers, engines, crushing machines, cooling vats, moulding apartments, etc., constitute the trapiche of the hacienda.
1896. Nat. Geog. Mag., July, 242. The trapiche or sugar-cane press of the chief. Here two huge wooden rollers … pressed the cane stalks and large metal vessels received the juice.
2. A rude form of mill for grinding ores.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Trapiche, a rude grinding machine, composed of two stones, of which the upper is fastened to a long pole.
