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Definition of "shipwreck" [ship•wreck]

  • The destruction of a ship, as by storm or collision. (noun)
  • The remains of a wrecked ship. (noun)
  • A complete failure or ruin. (noun)
  • Nautical To cause a ship to be destroyed, as by storm or collision. (verb-transitive)
  • Nautical To cause (a passenger or sailor on a ship) to suffer shipwreck. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "shipwreck" in a sentence
  • "But five minutes later the operations room at Livorno port was said to have contacted the liner again after a passenger had allegedly reported a problem and mentioned the word "shipwreck"."
  • "But five minutes later the liner was contacted again after a passenger allegedly reported a problem and mentioned the word "shipwreck"."
  • "Fortunately, this shipwreck is not in waters claimed by any other country, so we do not expect any interference in further exploration of the site."