shipwreck

English

Alternative forms
  • shipwrack

Etymology

From Middle English schip-wracke, from Old English scipwræc (“jetsam”), equivalent to ship +‎ wrack. Cognate with Scots schip-wrak (“to shipwreck”, verb), Swedish skeppsvrak (“shipwreck”). Modern spelling is due to influence from wreck.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃɪpɹɛk/

Noun

shipwreck (countable and uncountable, plural shipwrecks)

  1. A ship that has sunk or run aground so that it is no longer seaworthy.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)
  2. An event where a ship sinks or runs aground.
  3. (figuratively) destruction; ruin; irretrievable loss
    • Bible, 1 Timothy 1. 19
      Holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.
    • J. Morley
      It was upon an Indian bill that the late ministry had made shipwreck.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

shipwreck (third-person singular simple present shipwrecks, present participle shipwrecking, simple past and past participle shipwrecked)

  1. To wreck a boat through a collision or mishap.

Translations

See also
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