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Webster 1913 Edition

Trunk

Trunk

,
Noun.
[F.
tronc
, L.
truncus
, fr.
truncus
maimed, mutilated; perhaps akin to
torquere
to twist wrench, and E.
torture
.
Trunk
in the sense of proboscis is fr. F.
trompe
(the same word as
trompe
a trumpet), but has been confused in English with
trunk
the stem of a tree (see
Trump
a trumpet). Cf.
Truncate
.]
1.
The stem, or body, of a tree, apart from its limbs and roots; the main stem, without the branches; stock; stalk.
About the mossy
trunk
I wound me soon,
For, high from ground, the branches would require
Thy utmost reach.
Milton.
2.
The body of an animal, apart from the head and limbs.
3.
The main body of anything;
as, the
trunk
of a vein or of an artery, as distinct from the branches
.
4.
(Arch)
That part of a pilaster which is between the base and the capital, corresponding to the shaft of a column.
5.
(Zool.)
That segment of the body of an insect which is between the head and abdomen, and bears the wings and legs; the thorax; the truncus.
6.
(Zool.)
(a)
The proboscis of an elephant.
(b)
The proboscis of an insect.
7.
A long tube through which pellets of clay, p[GREEK]as, etc., are driven by the force of the breath.
He shot sugarplums them out of a
trunk
.
Howell.
8.
A box or chest usually covered with leather, metal, or cloth, or sometimes made of leather, hide, or metal, for containing clothes or other goods; especially, one used to convey the effects of a traveler.
Locked up in chests and
trunks
.
Shakespeare
9.
(Mining)
A flume or sluice in which ores are separated from the slimes in which they are contained.
10.
(Steam Engine)
A large pipe forming the piston rod of a steam engine, of sufficient diameter to allow one end of the connecting rod to be attached to the crank, and the other end to pass within the pipe directly to the piston, thus making the engine more compact.
11.
A long, large box, pipe, or conductor, made of plank or metal plates, for various uses, as for conveying air to a mine or to a furnace, water to a mill, grain to an elevator, etc.
Trunk engine
,
a marine engine, the piston rod of which is a trunk. See
Trunk
, 10.
–
Trunk hose
,
large breeches formerly worn, reaching to the knees.
–
Trunk line
,
the main line of a railway, canal, or route of conveyance.
–
Trunk turtle
(Zool.)
,
the leatherback.

Trunk

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. F.
tronquer
. See
Truncate
.]
1.
To lop off; to curtail; to truncate; to maim.
[Obs.]
“Out of the trunked stock.”
Spenser.
2.
(Mining)
To extract (ores) from the slimes in which they are contained, by means of a trunk. See
Trunk
,
Noun.
, 9.
Weale.

Webster 1828 Edition

Trunk

TRUNK

,
Noun.
[L. truncus, from trunco, to cut off.
1.
The stem or body of a tree, severed form its roots. This is the proper sense of the word. But surprising as it may seem, it is used most improperly to signify the stem of a standing tree or vegetable, in general.
2.
The body of an animal without the limbs.
3.
The main body of any thing; as the trunk of a vein or of an artery, as distinct from the branches.
4.
The snout or proboscis of an elephant; the limb or instrument with which he feeds himself.
5.
A slender, oblong, hollow body, joined to the fore part of the head of many insects by means of which they suck the blood of animals or the juices of vegetables.
6.
In architecture, the fust or shaft of a column.
7.
A long tube through which pellets of clay are blown.
8.
A box or chest covered with skin.
Fire-trunks, in fire ships, wooden funnels fixed under the shrouds to convey or lead the flames to the masts and rigging.

TRUNK

,
Verb.
T.
To lop off; to curtail; to truncate. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024

Trunk

Trunk

See also: trunk

German

Noun

Trunk m ‎(genitive Trunks or Trunkes, plural Trünke)

  1. (elevated) drink

Related terms

trunk

trunk

See also: Trunk

English

Noun

trunk ‎(plural trunks)

  1. (heading, biological) Part of a body.
    1. The (usually single) upright part of a tree, between the roots and the branches: the tree trunk.
    2. The torso.
    3. The extended and articulated nose or nasal organ of an elephant.
    4. The proboscis of an insect.
  2. (heading) A container.
    1. A large suitcase, usually requiring two persons to lift and with a hinged lid.
      • 1915, George A. Birmingham, “chapter I”, in Gossamer (Project Gutenberg; EBook #24394), London: Methuen & Co., published 8 January 2013 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 558189256:
        There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors.
    2. A box or chest usually covered with leather, metal, or cloth, or sometimes made of leather, hide, or metal, for holding or transporting clothes or other goods.
    3. (US, Canada, automotive) The luggage storage compartment of a sedan/saloon style car.
  3. (heading) A channel for flow of some kind.
    1. (US, telecommunications) A circuit between telephone switchboards or other switching equipment.
    2. A chute or conduit, or a watertight shaft connecting two or more decks.
    3. A long, large box, pipe, or conductor, made of plank or metal plates, for various uses, as for conveying air to a mine or to a furnace, water to a mill, grain to an elevator, etc.
    4. (archaic) A long tube through which pellets of clay, pas, etc., are driven by the force of the breath.
      • James Howell (c.1594–1666)
        He shot sugarplums at them out of a trunk.
    5. (mining) A flume or sluice in which ores are separated from the slimes in which they are contained.
  4. (software engineering, jargon) In software projects under source control: the most current source tree, from which the latest unstable builds (so-called "trunk builds") are compiled.
  5. The main line or body of anything.
    the trunk of a vein or of an artery, as distinct from the branches‎
    1. (transport) A main line in a river, canal, railroad, or highway system.
    2. (architecture) The part of a pilaster between the base and capital, corresponding to the shaft of a column.
  6. A large pipe forming the piston rod of a steam engine, of sufficient diameter to allow one end of the connecting rod to be attached to the crank, and the other end to pass within the pipe directly to the piston, thus making the engine more compact.
  7. Shorts used for swimming (swim trunks).

Synonyms

  • (luggage storage compartment of a sedan/saloon style car): boot (UK, Aus), dicky (India)
  • (upright part of a tree): tree trunk
  • (nose of an elephant): proboscis

Hyponyms

  • (a large suitcase; a chest for holding goods): footlocker

Derived terms

Translations

External links

  • trunk in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • trunk in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Verb

trunk ‎(third-person singular simple present trunks, present participle trunking, simple past and past participle trunked)

  1. (obsolete) To lop off; to curtail; to truncate.
    • Spenser
      Out of the trunked stock.
  2. (mining) To extract (ores) from the slimes in which they are contained, by means of a trunk.

Etymology

From Middle English trunke, borrowed from Old French tronc ‎(“alms box, tree trunk, headless body”), from Latin truncus ‎(“a stock, lopped tree trunk”), from truncus ‎(“cut off, maimed, mutilated”). For the verb, compare French tronquer, and see truncate.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /tɹʌŋk/
  • (US) IPA(key): /tɹʌŋk/, [t͡ʃɹʌŋk]
  • Rhymes: -ʌŋk

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