Trunk
/trʌŋk/noun
A large, sturdy main stem of a tree, or a large storage chest; also the main body of the human or animal torso.
Did you know?English *trunk* split into two major senses from different historical sources: the “tree body/torso” sense came through French from Latin *truncus* (“maimed, trunk-like”), while the “box/chest” sense came from French *tronc* and ultimately a separate Latin word for a hollowed log or container.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*trem-
“to tremble, shake”
Latin
Latin
truncus
“maimed, lopped off; the trunk of a tree or body”
Old French
Old French
tronc
“a trunk, chest, box; also a tree trunk”
Middle English
English
trunke
“a chest or box for storage; later also the main stem of a tree”
Modern English
English
trunk
“the main stem of a tree; a large storage chest; the torso of a body”
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