Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » hulk

hulk

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

(hulk)

noun

1. Archaic any ship
2. a big, unwieldy ship
1. the hull of an old, dismantled ship
2. such a ship used for storage in a port or, earlier, as a prison
3. a deserted wreck or ruins
a big, clumsy person or thing

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

intransitive verb

to rise bulkily: usually with up
Dialectal to slouch or lounge about in a heavy, clumsy manner

See hulk in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Nautical
a. A heavy, unwieldy ship.
b. The hull of an old, unseaworthy, or wrecked ship.
c. An old or unseaworthy ship used as a prison or warehouse. Often used in the plural.
One, such as a person or object, that is bulky, clumsy, or unwieldy.
A wrecked or abandoned shell of a usually large object, such as a building or vehicle.

intransitive verb hulked, hulk·ing, hulks