Main Entry:

trunk

Pronunciation:

\ˈtrəŋk\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English trunke Anglo-French trunc, trunke, from Latin truncus trunk, torso

Date:

15th century

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 and appendages : torso (2): the thorax of an insect c: the central part of anything ; specifically : the shaft of a column or pilaster2 a (1): a large rigid piece of luggage used usually for transporting clothing and personal effects (2): the luggage compartment of an automobile 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 rudder3: proboscis ; especially : the long muscular proboscis of the elephant4plural : men's shorts worn chiefly for sports <swimming trunks>5 a: a usually major channel or passage (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: trunk line

— trunk·ful \ˈtrənk-ˌfu̇l\ noun