hulk
/hʌlk/ (bre, ipa) · /hʌlk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhəlk/ (ame, mw)
hulk — noun
- hulksingular
- hulksplural
1. the hollow outer frame that is left when a ship, car, or large machine has stopp
the hollow outer frame that is left when a ship, car, or large machine has stopped working and been discarded
The rusted hulk of a fishing boat lay half-buried in the sand near the old pier.
collocation: rusted hulk + of a [vehicle]
Eva stared at the burned-out hulk of her car, still smoking in the driveway.
Weeds had swallowed the rusted hulk of the factory crane, its long metal arm now sagging toward the ground.
After the storm passed, only the hulk of the ferry remained visible above the water.
Samir pointed to the dark hulk of a wrecked tanker on the distant reef.
文法句型
the hulk of a/the [ship/car/vehicle/machine]
用法筆記
Object must be something broken or abandoned — the word always implies decay or disuse. A working ship or car is never called a hulk.
常見錯誤
2. a person who is very large and heavy, often seeming clumsy or physically intimid
a person who is very large and heavy, often seeming clumsy or physically intimidating, or a thing that is big and awkward to handle
The rugby player was a great hulk of a man, yet he moved with surprising gentleness.
pattern: a hulk of a man
Zahra squeezed past the hulk of an old photocopier wedged in the corridor, its lid cracked and its cord trailing.
The bodyguard, a silent hulk in a dark suit, stood by the door and watched every guest.
Tariq could barely lift the hulk of the old television set onto the recycling truck.
Wen felt nervous walking past the hulk of a bouncer at the club entrance.
文法句型
a hulk of a [man/woman/person/thing]
a [adjective] hulk
用法筆記
When describing a person, the word can sound insulting; it emphasises physical size and clumsiness over other qualities. Distinguish from sense 1: here the person or thing is still functioning, just unwieldy.
常見錯誤
3. an old ship that is permanently moored in one spot and used as a jail, especiall
an old ship that is permanently moored in one spot and used as a jail, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries
The old convict hulk was anchored in the harbour, holding prisoners awaiting transport to the colonies.
historical context: convict hulk
During the 1800s, prisoners lived in terrible conditions aboard the prison hulks on the Thames.
Deepa read about the hulk where captured sailors were chained below decks, feverish and awaiting transport to a penal colony.
The museum guide described how prisoners aboard the hulk slept on bare planks in the freezing dark, their ankles shackled together.
- prison ship
the literal modern term; hulk carries the historical weight
- floating prison
describes the function rather than the ship itself
文法句型
a prison hulk
a convict hulk
the hulks (plural, historical)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively historical. In modern usage, the plural form 'the hulks' often refers collectively to the British prison-ship system of the 18th–19th centuries.
hulk — verb
- hulkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- hulks3rd person singular
- hulking-ing form
- hulkedpast simple
1. to walk or move in a slow, heavy, clumsy way, as if carrying great weight
to walk or move in a slow, heavy, clumsy way, as if carrying great weight
Vikram hulked across the room, still carrying his heavy backpack and wet hiking boots.
pattern: hulk + across [place]
The old bear hulked through the undergrowth, snapping branches under its weight.
Lucia watched the removal men hulking the heavy piano up three flights of stairs.
The injured footballer hulked off the pitch, leaning on the trainer's shoulder.
A tired workhorse hulked along the muddy lane, pulling a cart full of stones.
文法句型
hulk + across/through/along/off/into [place]
用法筆記
Subject is always a person, animal, or thing capable of self-movement in a heavy, burdened manner. Distinguish from sense 2: here the focus is on the manner of moving, not on appearing large.
2. to appear as a very large, dark shape, often in a way that seems threatening or
to appear as a very large, dark shape, often in a way that seems threatening or overwhelming
The castle hulked against the evening sky, its towers dark and silent on the hill.
pattern: hulked against [background]
From the tiny boat, the cliff hulked above them like a wall of shadow.
Minh looked up as the cruise ship hulked over the small dock, blocking the sunlight.
The old mill chimney hulked over the row of terraced houses, its brickwork blackened by a century of smoke.
Storm clouds hulked on the horizon like a bruise spreading across the evening sky.
文法句型
hulk + against/above/over [object]
[large thing] + hulked + [location]
用法筆記
Subject is almost always an inanimate object of great size — a building, cliff, ship, or mountain. The verb carries a sense of menace or oppression. Distinguish from sense 1: here there is no movement, only a stationary looming presence.