hulk
To reduce to a non-functional hulkTo reduce (a ship) to a non-functional hulk.
» He's a big hulk of a man.
Meaning
6 senses(transitive)To reduce (a ship) to a non-functional hulk.
(transitive)To temporarily house (goods, people, etc.) in such a hulk.
(transitive)To move (a large, hulking body).
(intransitive)To be a hulk, that is, a large, hulking, and often imposing presence.
(intransitive)Of a (large) person: to act or move slowly and clumsily.
(dialectal, transitive)To remove the entrails of; to disembowel.
- appear very large or occupy a commanding position
Examples
7 sentencesHe's a big hulk of a man.
The man was a huge hulking fellow in corduroys, but he did not look the villain by a long shot.
Edmundo threw a dumpster at Hulk.
Shrek is the Hulk after getting married.
The cement hardened and restricted Hulk’s movements.
Origin
From Middle English hulk, hulke, holke (“hut; shed for hogs; type of ship; husk, pod, shelFrom Middle English hulk, hulke, holke (“hut; shed for hogs; type of ship; husk, pod, shell; large, clumsy person; a giant”) (probably reinforced by
A variant of holk (“to dig out, hollow out, make hollow; to dig up, excavate; to dig into, investigate”), from Middle English holken (“to dig out, hollow out; to dig up, excavate”) (compare holk (“a hollow; body cavity”)), perhaps from Middle Low German hȫlken (“to hollow out, gouge”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hulaz (“hollow”, adjective); further etymology uncertain, perhaps either from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover”), or *ḱewh₁- (“to swell; to be strong”). Compare also Old English āhlocian (“to dig out”).
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Forms
hulks, hulking, hulked, hulkedPhrasal verbs
2 phrasal verbsSynonyms
3 synonyms- appear very large or occupy a commanding position:loomtowerpredominate
Word family
4 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle