trunk: Meaning and Definition of

trunk

Pronunciation: (trungk), [key]
— n.
  1. the main stem of a tree, as distinct from the branches and roots.
  2. a large, sturdy box or chest for holding or transporting clothes, personal effects, or other articles.
  3. a large compartment, usually in the rear of an automobile, in which luggage, a spare tire, and other articles may be kept.
  4. the body of a person or an animal excluding the head and limbs; torso.
  5. the part of a fish between the head and the anus.
    1. the shaft of a column.
    2. the dado or die of a pedestal.
  6. the main channel, artery, or line in a river, railroad, highway, canal, or other tributary system.
    1. a telephone line or channel between two central offices or switching devices that is used in providing telephone connections between subscribers generally.
    2. a telegraph line or channel between two main or central offices.
  7. the main body of an artery, nerve, or the like, as distinct from its branches.
    1. brief shorts, loose-fitting or tight, worn by men chiefly for boxing, swimming, and track.
    2. Obs.Seetrunk hose.
  8. the long, flexible, cylindrical nasal appendage of the elephant.
    1. a large enclosed passage through the decks or bulkheads of a vessel, for cooling, ventilation, or the like.
    2. any of various watertight casings in a vessel, as the vertical one above the slot for a centerboard in the bottom of a boat.
  9. a conduit; shaft; chute.
—adj.
  1. of, pertaining to, or noting a main channel or line, as of a railroad or river.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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