wrack

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the destruction or collapse of something

   wrack and ruin

2. 2
   noun

   Ruin; destruction.

   Therefore, in sign her treasure suffered wrack, Since Hero's time hath half the world been black.

3. 3
   noun

   The remains of something; a wreck.

   Lytle was already moaning in shame, fallen back in bed with his hand across his face like he'd just washed up somewhere, a piece of wrack.

4. 4
   noun

   A high, flying cloud; a rack.

   A dull wrack was drifting slowly across the sky, and a star or two twinkled dimly here and there through the rifts of the clouds.

5. 5
   verb

   To wreck, especially a ship.

   Nor did the croakers have long to wait. The second night after the drowning of the mate the little yacht was suddenly wracked from stem to stern. About one o’clock in the morning there was a terrific impact that threw the slumbering guests and crew from berth and bunk. A mighty shudder ran through the frail craft; she lay far over to starboard; the engines stopped.

6. 6
   verb

   Alternative form of rack (“to cause to suffer pain, etc.”).

   It marked her first performance in over four years after revealing that her body had been wracked with painful spasms following her diagnosis with the rare and chronic neurological disorder.

7. 7
   noun

   dried seaweed especially that cast ashore

8. 8
   noun

   growth of marine vegetation especially of the large forms such as rockweeds and kelp

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Middle Dutch wrak, ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (“to drive out”), the source of wreak and wreck. Doublet of vraic. Cognate with German Wrack, Old Norse rek, Danish vrag, Swedish vrak, Old English wræc); also compare Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan), 𐍅𐍂𐌰𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wrakjan, “persecute”), Old Norse reka (“drive”).