TRUNK

noun Etymology: Middle English ~e Anglo-French trunc, ~e, from Latin truncus ~, torso Date: 15th century 1. the main stem of a tree apart from limbs and roots, b. the human or animal body apart from the head and appendages ; torso , the thorax of an insect, the central part of anything, 2. a. a large rigid piece of luggage used usually for transporting clothing and personal effects, the luggage compartment of an automobile, b. a superstructure over a ship's hatches usually level with the poop deck, the part of the cabin of a boat projecting above the deck, the housing for a centerboard or rudder, proboscis , men's shorts worn chiefly for sports , 5. a usually major channel or passage (as a chute or shaft), a circuit between two telephone exchanges for making connections between subscribers, 6. the principal channel or main body of a system or part that divides into branches , ~ line , ~ful noun