Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Wreck
Wreck
,Noun.
[OE. , and cf.
wrak
, AS. wræc
exile, persecution, misery, from wrecan
to drive out, punish; akin to D. wrak
, adj., damaged, brittle, n., a wreck, wraken
to reject, throw off, Icel. rek
a thing drifted ashore, Sw. vrak
refuse, a wreck, Dan. vrag
. See Wreak
, Verb.
T.
Wrack
a marine plant.] [Written also
wrack
.] 1.
The destruction or injury of a vessel by being cast on shore, or on rocks, or by being disabled or sunk by the force of winds or waves; shipwreck.
Hard and obstinate
As is a rock amidst the raging floods,
’Gainst which a ship, of succor desolate,
Doth suffer
As is a rock amidst the raging floods,
’Gainst which a ship, of succor desolate,
Doth suffer
wreck
, both of herself and goods. Spenser.
2.
Destruction or injury of anything, especially by violence; ruin;
as, the
. wreck
of a railroad trainThe
wreck
of matter and the crush of worlds. Addison.
Its intellectual life was thus able to go on amidst the
wreck
of its political life. J. R. Green.
3.
The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks or land, and broken, or otherwise rendered useless, by violence and fracture;
as, they burned the
. wreck
4.
The remain of anything ruined or fatally injured.
To the fair haven of my native home,
The
The
wreck
of what I was, fatigued I come. Cowper.
5.
(Law)
Goods, etc., which, after a shipwreck, are cast upon the land by the sea.
Bouvier.
Wreck
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Wrecked
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Wrecking
.] 1.
To destroy, disable, or seriously damage, as a vessel, by driving it against the shore or on rocks, by causing it to become unseaworthy, to founder, or the like; to shipwreck.
Supposing that they saw the king's ship
wrecked
. Shakespeare
2.
To bring wreck or ruin upon by any kind of violence; to destroy, as a railroad train.
3.
To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on.
Weak and envied, if they should conspire,
They
They
wreck
themselves. Daniel.
Wreck
,Verb.
I.
1.
To suffer wreck or ruin.
Milton.
2.
To work upon a wreck, as in saving property or lives, or in plundering.
Webster 1828 Edition
Wreck
WRECK
,Noun.
1.
Destruction; properly, the destruction of a ship or vessel on the shore. Hence,2.
The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks or land and broken, or otherwise rendered useless by violence and fracture.3.
Dissolution by violence; ruin; destruction.The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.
4.
The remains of any thing ruined; dead weeds and grass.5.
In metallurgy, the vessel in which ores are washed the third time.6.
Wreck, for wreak, is less proper. [See also Rack.]WRECK
, v.t.1.
To stand; to drive against the shore, or dash against rocks, and break or destroy. The ship Diamond of new York, was wrecked on a rock in Cardigan Bay, on the coast of Wales.2.
To ruin; as, they wreck their own fortunes.3.
Wreck, for wreak, is improper.WRECK
,Verb.
I.
Definition 2024
wreck
wreck
English
Noun
wreck (plural wrecks)
- Something or someone that has been ruined.
- He was an emotional wreck after the death of his wife.
- The remains of something that has been severely damaged or worn down.
- Cowper
- To the fair haven of my native home, / The wreck of what I was, fatigued I come.
- Cowper
- An event in which something is damaged through collision.
- Addison
- the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds
- Spenser
- Hard and obstinate / As is a rock amidst the raging floods, / 'Gainst which a ship, of succour desolate, / Doth suffer wreck, both of herself and goods.
- J. R. Green
- Its intellectual life was thus able to go on amidst the wreck of its political life.
- Addison
- (law) Goods, etc. cast ashore by the sea after a shipwreck.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Bouvier to this entry?)
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
ruined object or person
remains
collision
Verb
wreck (third-person singular simple present wrecks, present participle wrecking, simple past and past participle wrecked)
- To destroy violently; to cause severe damage to something, to a point where it no longer works, or is useless.
- He wrecked the car in a collision.
- That adulterous hussy wrecked my marriage!
- Shakespeare
- Supposing that they saw the king's ship wrecked.
- To ruin or dilapidate.
- (Australia) To dismantle wrecked vehicles or other objects, to reclaim any useful parts.
- To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on.
- Daniel
- Weak and envied, if they should conspire, / They wreck themselves.
- Daniel
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:destroy
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to cause severe damage
to ruin
to dismantle wrecked objects