Wrack

See also: wrack

German

Etymology

From Middle Low German wrak, probably from Old Saxon *wrak, derived from wrekan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrekan, from Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, whence also German rächen and English wreak. Cognate with Dutch wrak, English wrack, wreck, Norwegian Bokmål vrak, Norwegian Nynorsk vrak, Swedish vrak (from Low German).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /vʁak/
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ak

Noun

Wrack n (strong, genitive Wracks or Wrackes, plural Wracks or (rare) Wracke)

  1. wreck (damaged remains of a ship, airplane, etc.)
    Das Wrack des Schiffs wurde mit Spezialkränen geborgen.
    The wreck of the ship was recovered with specialized cranes.
  2. wreck (physically and/or mentally unstable person)
    Während meiner Grippe war ich ein Wrack.
    During my flu, I was a wreck.
    Nach zwanzig Jahren Saufen war er ein Wrack.
    After twenty years of hard drinking, he was a wreck.

Usage notes
  • The normal plural is Wracks. The form Wracke is rare.

Declension
Declension of Wrack [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Wrack die Wracks, Wracke2
genitive eines des Wracks, Wrackes der Wracks, Wracke2
dative einem dem Wrack, Wracke1 den Wracks, Wracken2
accusative ein das Wrack die Wracks, Wracke2

1Now rare, see notes.
2Rare.

Derived terms

Further reading
  • “Wrack” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • “Wrack” in Duden online
  • “Wrack” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
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