n. 废船;笨重的船;船体
vi. 庞然大物般出现;赫然显现
hulk 船骸,笨重的大船,庞然大物
来自古英语hulc,快船,在中古英语时期词义由快船演变为笨重的慢船,最终来自希腊语holkas,商船,纤夫拉船,来自PIE*selk,拉,拖,词源同sulcus.进入进代英语词义由慢船演变为船骸,或用于海上监狱的废弃船只。引申词义庞然大物。
HULK. In the sixteenth century the large merchantman of the northern nations. As she grew obsolete, her name was applied in derision to all crank vessels, until it came to be degraded to its present use, i.e., any old vessel unfit for further employment. [Geoffrey Callender, "Sea Passages," 1943]