What does "shipwreck" mean?
Shipwreck: A ship wrecked or destroyed upon the water, or the parts of such a ship; wreckage. Dryden.
Additional senses
- 2.Fig.: Destruction; ruin; irretrievable loss. Holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. 1 Tim.
- 3.19. It was upon an Indian bill that the late ministry had made shipwreck. J. Morley.
- 4.To destroy, as a ship at sea, by running ashore or on rocks or sandbanks, or by the force of wind and waves in a tempest. Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break. Shak.
- 5.To cause to experience shipwreck, as sailors or passengers. Hence, to cause to suffer some disaster or loss; to destroy or ruin, as if by shipwreck; to wreck; as, to shipwreck a business. Addison.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00