hulk

[huhlk]

noun

1. the body of an old or dismantled ship.

2. a ship specially built to serve as a storehouse, prison, etc., and not for sea service.

3. a clumsy-looking or unwieldy ship or boat.

4. a bulky or unwieldy person, object, or mass.

5. the shell of a wrecked, burned-out, or abandoned vehicle, building, or the like.

verb (used without object)

1. to loom in bulky form; appear as a large, massive bulk (often followed byup ).

   The bus hulked up suddenly over the crest of the hill.

2. British Dialect.,  to lounge, slouch, or move in a heavy, loutish manner.

hulk

/ hʌlk /

noun

1. the body of an abandoned vessel

2. derogatory,  a large or unwieldy vessel

3. derogatory,  a large ungainly person or thing

4. (often plural) the frame or hull of a ship, used as a storehouse, etc, or (esp in 19th-century Britain) as a prison

verb

1. informal,  (intr) to move clumsily

2. to rise massively

Word History and Origins

Origin of hulk¹

before 1000; Middle English hulke, Old English hulc; perhaps < Medieval Latin hulcus < Greek holkás trading vessel, originally, towed ship

Word History and Origins

Origin of hulk¹

Old English hulc, from Medieval Latin hulca, from Greek holkas barge, from helkein to tow

Example Sentences

They laid sprinkler lines and wrapped the trunks of some of the hulking trees with a fire-resistant material akin to tin foil.

From Los Angeles Times

Approximately 1,800 firefighters have been battling the blaze, some laying down sprinkler line to shoot water onto the hulking trees, which can grow beyond 300 feet tall.

From Los Angeles Times

A hulking security guard stood outside the entrance, the 101 Freeway buzzing nearby.

From Los Angeles Times

Rosey Grier, a hulking defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams who was in the crowd, rushed in to pin the gunman against a serving table.

From Los Angeles Times

Fish and Wildlife is primarily responsible for managing the hulking mammals, including making the call to move or euthanize them.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blob 
• hull 
• hunk 
• skeleton 
• wreck