Adjacent Words

Trunk definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TRUNK, n. [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, v.t. To lop off; to curtail; to truncate. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber [syn: trunk, tree trunk, bole]
2: luggage consisting of a large strong case used when traveling or for storage
3: the body excluding the head and neck and limbs; "they moved their arms and legs and bodies" [syn: torso, trunk, body]
4: compartment in an automobile that carries luggage or shopping or tools; "he put his golf bag in the trunk" [syn: luggage compartment, automobile trunk, trunk]
5: a long flexible snout as of an elephant [syn: proboscis, trunk]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English trunke Anglo-French trunc, trunke, from Latin truncus trunk, torso Date: 15th century 1. a. the main stem of a tree apart from limbs and roots — called also bole b. (1) the human or animal body apart from the head and appendages ; torso (2) the thorax of an insect c. the central part of anything; specifically the shaft of a column or pilaster 2. a. (1) a large rigid piece of luggage used usually for transporting clothing and personal effects (2) the luggage compartment of an automobile b. (1) a superstructure over a ship's hatches usually level with the poop deck (2) the part of the cabin of a boat projecting above the deck (3) the housing for a centerboard or rudder 3. proboscis; especially the long muscular proboscis of the elephant 4. plural men's shorts worn chiefly for sports <swimming trunks> 5. a. a usually major channel or passage (as a chute or shaft) b. a circuit between two telephone exchanges for making connections between subscribers; broadly a usually electronic path over which information is transmitted (as between computer systems) 6. a. the principal channel or main body of a system or part that divides into branches <a nerve trunk> <the trunk of a river> b. trunk line • trunkful noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the main stem of a tree as distinct from its branches and roots. 2 a person's or animal's body apart from the limbs and head. 3 the main part of any structure. 4 a large box with a hinged lid for transporting luggage, clothes, etc. 5 US the luggage compartment of a motor car. 6 an elephant's elongated prehensile nose. 7 (in pl.) men's close-fitting shorts worn for swimming, boxing, etc. 8 the main body of an artery, nerve, etc. 9 an enclosed shaft or conduit for cables, ventilation, etc. Phrases and idioms: trunk call esp. Brit. a telephone call on a trunk line with charges made according to distance. trunk line a main line of a railway, telephone system, etc. trunk road esp. Brit. an important main road. Derivatives: trunkful n. (pl. -fuls). trunkless adj. Etymology: ME f. OF tronc f. L truncus

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Trunk Trunk, n. [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. (Zo["o]l.) 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Trunk Trunk, v. 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, n., 9. --Weale.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(trunks) 1. The trunk of a tree is the large main stem from which the branches grow. ...the gnarled trunk of a birch tree. N-COUNT: usu N of n, n N 2. A trunk is a large, strong case or box used for storing things or for taking on a journey. N-COUNT 3. An elephant's trunk is its very long nose that it uses to lift food and water to its mouth. N-COUNT: usu with poss 4. The trunk of a car is a covered space at the back or front in which you put luggage or other things. (AM; in BRIT, use boot) N-COUNT 5. Trunks are shorts that a man wears when he goes swimming. = swimming trunks N-PLURAL 6. Your trunk is the central part of your body, from your neck to your waist. (FORMAL) N-COUNT: usu sing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Stem, stock, stalk, body, bole. 2. Body (without the limbs). 3. Main body. 4. Proboscis, snout. 5. Leat, watercourse. 6. Box, chest, coffer. 7. (Arch.) Shaft of a column.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A nose. How fares your old trunk? does your nose still stand fast? an allusion to the proboscis or trunk of an elephant. To shove a trunk: to introduce one's self unasked into any place or company. Trunk-maker like; more noise than work.

Moby Thesaurus

L, WATS, WATS line, anatomy, anthrophore, antlia, axis, baluster, balustrade, banister, barrel, base, beak, beezer, bill, bin, body, bole, bones, boot, box, branch, bugle, cable, cable railway, cane, carcass, carpophore, caryatid, case, cask, casket, caudex, caulicle, caulis, chest, clay, clod, co-ax, coaxial cable, coffer, cog railway, colonnade, column, concentric cable, conk, corpus, culm, cylinder, cylindroid, dado, die, drum, el, electric railway, elevated, elevated railway, embankment, feeder, feeder line, figure, flesh, footstalk, form, frame, funicule, funiculus, gravity-operated railway, haulm, horse railway, hulk, jack, junction, leafstalk, light railroad, line, locker, main line, material body, metro, monorail, muffle, muzzle, nares, neb, newel-post, nib, nose, nostrils, nozzle, olfactory organ, party line, pecker, pedestal, pedicel, peduncle, person, petiole, petiolule, petiolus, physical body, physique, pier, pilaster, pile, piling, pillar, pipe, plinth, pole, post, private line, proboscis, queen-post, rack railway, rack-and-pinion railway, rail, rail line, railroad, railway, reed, rhinarium, roadbed, roadway, roll, roller, rostrum, rouleau, schnozzle, seedstalk, shaft, sidetrack, siding, smeller, snoot, snout, socle, soma, spear, spire, staff, stalk, stanchion, stand, standard, stem, stipe, stock, straw, street railway, streetcar line, subbase, subway, surbase, switchback, telegraph cable, telegraph line, telephone line, terminal, terminus, tigella, torso, track, tram, tramline, trestle, trolley line, trunk line, tube, turnout, underground, upright, wire line