1
a
: the main stem of a tree apart from limbs and roots
called also bole
b(1)
: the human or animal body apart from the head, neck, and appendages : torso
(2)
: the thorax of an insect
c
: the central part of anything
specifically
: the shaft of a column or pilaster
2
a(1)
: a large rigid piece of luggage used usually for transporting clothing and personal items
(2)
: the enclosed space in the back of an automobile for carrying things
b(1)
: a superstructure over a ship's hatches usually level with the poop deck
(2)
: the part of the cabin of a boat projecting above the deck
(3)
: the housing for a centerboard or rudder
3
: proboscis
especially
: the long muscular proboscis of the elephant
4
trunks plural
: men's shorts worn chiefly for sports
swimming trunks
5
a
: a usually major channel or passage (such as a chute or shaft)
b
: a circuit between two telephone exchanges for making connections between subscribers
broadly
: a usually electronic path over which information is transmitted (as between computer systems)
6
a
: the principal channel or main body of a system or part that divides into branches
a nerve trunk
the trunk of a river
b
Examples of trunk in a Sentence
the trunk of an artery
threw the rest of her books and tapes in the trunk and closed the lid
Recent Examples on the Web
The women are wearing Sandro coverups and sundresses and then men are in Vilebrequin swim trunks.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2026
In ancient Greece, a hole was drilled in the trunks of almond trees into which plugs of pine tree wood were inserted.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s something about these witty, light trunk songs that feels gayer than the sturdy musicals that Rodgers and Hammerstein started writing.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
To shorten a branch, make a cut above a healthy bud, and remove whole branches by cutting at an angle at the swollen collar area where the branch meets the trunk.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trunk
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2026
In ancient Greece, a hole was drilled in the trunks of almond trees into which plugs of pine tree wood were inserted.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s something about these witty, light trunk songs that feels gayer than the sturdy musicals that Rodgers and Hammerstein started writing.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
To shorten a branch, make a cut above a healthy bud, and remove whole branches by cutting at an angle at the swollen collar area where the branch meets the trunk.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trunk
Video
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"
Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk
Cite this Entry
“Trunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trunk. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
trunk
noun1
a
: the main stem of a tree apart from branches or roots
b
: the body of a person or animal apart from the head, arms, and legs : torso
c
: the main or central part of something
trunk of an artery
2
a
: a box or chest for holding clothes or other articles especially for traveling
b
: the enclosed space usually in the rear of an automobile for carrying articles
3
: the long flexible muscular nose of an elephant or a related mammal (as a woolly mammoth)
4
plural
: men's shorts worn chiefly for sports
swimming trunks
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