trunk
the main stem of a tree, as distinct from the branches and roots.
a large, sturdy box or chest for holding or transporting clothes, personal effects, or other articles.
a large compartment, usually in the rear of an automobile, in which luggage, a spare tire, and other articles may be kept.
the body of a person or an animal excluding the head and limbs; torso.
Ichthyology. the part of a fish between the head and the anus.
Architecture.
the shaft of a column.
the dado or die of a pedestal.
the main channel, artery, or line in a river, railroad, highway, canal, or other tributary system.
Telephony, Telegraphy.
a telephone line or channel between two central offices or switching devices that is used in providing telephone connections between subscribers generally.
a telegraph line or channel between two main or central offices.
Anatomy. the main body of an artery, nerve, or the like, as distinct from its branches.
trunks,
brief shorts, loose-fitting or tight, worn by men chiefly for boxing, swimming, and track.
Obsolete. trunk hose.
the long, flexible, cylindrical nasal appendage of the elephant.
Nautical.
a large enclosed passage through the decks or bulkheads of a vessel, for cooling, ventilation, or the like.
any of various watertight casings in a vessel, as the vertical one above the slot for a centerboard in the bottom of a boat.
a conduit; shaft; chute.
of, relating to, or noting a main channel or line, as of a railroad or river.
Origin of trunk
1Other words from trunk
- trunkless, adjective
- subtrunk, noun
Words Nearby trunk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use trunk in a sentence
The company, founded as a trunk maker in 1854 and known today for its high-end handbags, has created a pro model skateboarding sneaker.
Louis Vuitton—yes, that Louis Vuitton—has created a pro skate shoe | Marc Bain | August 25, 2020 | QuartzOn the surf trip, I put shoes, flip flops, and a rain jacket in the big clamshell compartment, and used cubes for underwear and socks, swim trunks, and sun shirts and rash guards.
The Matador SEG42 Offers Unrivaled Gear Organization | Graham Averill | August 25, 2020 | Outside OnlineCheetahs sink their claws into a tree trunk to climb, she notes.
Shape-shifting cuts give shoes a better grip | Carolyn Wilke | July 14, 2020 | Science News For StudentsFinding and hitting a slim stem or trunk with a tiny patch clearly poses a challenge.
Silk-based microneedles may help treat diseased plants | Kathryn Hulick | June 18, 2020 | Science News For StudentsAs the pudgy, short-legged bear climbs, it presses its head briefly against the tree trunk again and again.
Pandas use their heads as a kind of extra limb for climbing | Susan Milius | March 13, 2020 | Science News For Students
In December, he did his first trunk shows in Paris and New York.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech | Liza Foreman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTA declaration of candidacy signed by Cuomo was in the trunk of his car.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82 | Eleanor Clift | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“I was a little nervous every time I took the camera out [of the trunk] that it would take me over,” he says.
The brainchild of a company called Sologic, the eTree looks like a basic tree with a wooden trunk.
The Queen sent her first email at an RAF base in 1976 and she made the first direct-dial trunk call from the UK in 1958.
A few moments afterward he was seen dragging his own trunk ashore, while Mr. Hitchcock finished his story on the boiler deck.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousRobert assisted her into the hammock which swung from the post before her door out to the trunk of a tree.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinVunce I seen a feller–I hat some snakes here in algohol–unt dat feller he trunk de algohol.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher | Eleanor GatesIndeed a child will sometimes complete the drawing by adding feet and hands before he troubles to bring in the trunk (see Fig. 8).
Children's Ways | James SullyThe arms, too, not uncommonly are spread out from the two sides of the trunk just as in the front view.
Children's Ways | James Sully
British Dictionary definitions for trunk
/ (trʌŋk) /
the main stem of a tree, usually thick and upright, covered with bark and having branches at some distance from the ground
a large strong case or box used to contain clothes and other personal effects when travelling and for storage
anatomy the body excluding the head, neck, and limbs; torso
the elongated prehensile nasal part of an elephant; proboscis
Also called: (Brit, Austral., NZ, and South African) boot US and Canadian an enclosed compartment of a car for holding luggage, etc, usually at the rear
anatomy the main stem of a nerve, blood vessel, etc
nautical a watertight boxlike cover within a vessel with its top above the waterline, such as one used to enclose a centreboard
an enclosed duct or passageway for ventilation, etc
(modifier) of or relating to a main road, railway, etc, in a network: a trunk line
Origin of trunk
1- See also trunks
Derived forms of trunk
- trunkful, noun
- trunkless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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