The hulkof something is the large, ruined remains of it.
...the ruined hulk of the old church tower. [+ of]
I could make out the gutted hulk of the tanker.
Synonyms: wreck, shell, hull, derelict More Synonyms of hulk
2. countable noun
You use hulk to describe anything which is large and seems threatening to you.
I followed his big hulk into the house.
More Synonyms of hulk
hulk in British English
(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
5. (intransitive) British informal
to move clumsily
6. (intransitive; often foll byup)
to rise massively
Word origin
Old English hulc, from Medieval Latin hulca, from Greek holkas barge, from helkein to tow
hulk in American English
(hʌlk)
noun
1.
a. Archaic
any ship
b.
a big, unwieldy ship
2.
a.
the hull of an old, dismantled ship
b.
such a ship used for storage in a port or, earlier, as a prison
c.
a deserted wreck or ruins
3.
a big, clumsy person or thing
verb intransitive
4.
to rise bulkily
usually with up
5. Dialectal
to slouch or lounge about in a heavy, clumsy manner
Word origin
ME < OE hulc < ML hulcus < Gr holkas, towed vessel < IE *solkos, a pull, something dragged < base *selk-, to pull > Gr hēlkein, to pull, OE sulh, a plow
Examples of 'hulk' in a sentence
hulk
That hulking great man had been brought low by his own demons and was facing a long, long flight back home.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
hulk
British English: hulk NOUN
The hulk of something is the large, ruined remains of it.
...the ruined hulk of the old church tower.
American English: hulk
Brazilian Portuguese: carcaça
Chinese: 残骸
European Spanish: restos
French: carcasse
German: Ruine
Italian: carcassa
Japanese: 残骸
Korean: 잔해
European Portuguese: carcaça
Latin American Spanish: restos
1 (noun)
Definition
the body of an abandoned ship
I could make out the gutted hulk of the tanker.
Synonyms
wreck
the wreck of a sailing ship
shell
The solid feel of the car's shell is impressive.
hull
The hull had suffered extensive damage to the starboard side.
derelict
shipwreck
frame
He supplied housebuilders with modern timber frames.
2 (noun)
Definition
a large ungainly person or thing
(derogatory)
Synonyms
lump (informal)
oaf
some oaf shouting into his phone
lout
a drunken lout
lubber
Additional synonyms
in the sense of frame
Definition
an enclosing case or border into which something is fitted
He supplied housebuilders with modern timber frames.
Synonyms
casing,
framework,
structure,
shell,
system,
form,
construction,
fabric,
skeleton,
chassis
in the sense of hull
Definition
the main body of a boat
The hull had suffered extensive damage to the starboard side.