/ rek; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a ship that has sunk or that has been very badly damaged
—see also shipwreck
2.
a car, plane, etc. that has been very badly damaged in an accident :
Two passengers are still trapped in the wreck.
➡ note at crash
3.
[ usually sing. ] ( informal ) a person who is in a bad physical or mental condition :
Physically, I was a total wreck.
The interview reduced him to a nervous wreck .
4.
( informal ) a vehicle, building, etc. that is in very bad condition :
The house was a wreck when we bought it.
( figurative )
They still hoped to salvage something from the wreck of their marriage.
5.
( NAmE ) = crash :
a car / train wreck
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
to damage or destroy sth :
The building had been wrecked by the explosion.
The road was littered with wrecked cars.
2.
wreck sth (for sb) to spoil sth completely :
The weather wrecked all our plans.
A serious injury nearly wrecked his career.
3.
[ usually passive ] to damage a ship so much that it sinks or can no longer sail :
The ship was wrecked off the coast of France.
—see also shipwreck
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (as a legal term denoting wreckage washed ashore): from Anglo-Norman French wrec , from the base of Old Norse reka to drive; related to wreak .