n.
- the destruction of a ship at sea; a shipwreck.
▸a ship destroyed in such a way.
▸Law goods brought ashore by the sea from a wreck.
- a building, vehicle, etc. that has been destroyed or badly damaged.
▸N. Amer. a road or rail crash.
- a person whose physical or mental health or strength has failed:
an emotional wreck.
v.
- cause the destruction of (a ship) by sinking or breaking up.
▸
[as noun wrecking]
chiefly historical the practice of destroying a ship in order to steal the cargo.
▸archaic suffer or undergo shipwreck.
- destroy or severely damage.
▸spoil completely:
the eye injury wrecked his chances.
-
[usu. as noun wrecking]
chiefly N. Amer. engage in breaking up badly damaged vehicles or demolishing old buildings to obtain usable spares or scrap.
Etymology
ME: from Anglo-Norman Fr. wrec, from the base of ON reka ‘to drive’; rel. to wreak.