shipwreck
Americannoun
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the destruction or loss of a ship, as by sinking.
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the remains of a wrecked ship.
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destruction or ruin.
the shipwreck of one's hopes.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to suffer shipwreck.
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to destroy; ruin.
verb (used without object)
noun
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the partial or total destruction of a ship at sea
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a wrecked ship or part of such a ship
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ruin or destruction
the shipwreck of all my hopes
verb
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to wreck or destroy (a ship)
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to bring to ruin or destruction
Etymology
Origin of shipwreck
before 1100; Middle English shipwrech remains of a shipwreck; ship 1, wreck; replacing Old English scipwræc ( wrack )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a ship, or rather, it was a shipwreck.
From Literature
William Golding wrote his tale partially in response to “The Coral Island,” a Victorian-era potboiler about three boys who survive a shipwreck thanks to their bluff resourcefulness.
Curtis, a travel content creator, said he was exploring the coastal path when a friend mentioned a nearby shipwreck.
From BBC
Part of a historic shipwreck has been revealed on a beach in the wake of Storm Chandra.
From BBC
They carried the shipwrecked crew through the ocean toward a city that rose in yellow stone out of the water of a lagoon.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
