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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Trunk Meaning: Car, Tree & Elephant Trunk Explained (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：car trunk (trunk)

trunk 🔊

/trʌŋk/

The large storage space at the back (or sometimes front) of a car where you put luggage, groceries, or other items.

car trunk 🔊

➕

/kɑːr trʌŋk/

In cars, the trunk is a storage compartment located at the rear (or sometimes front) for luggage and cargo.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'truncus' meaning 'trunk of a tree' or 'torso'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a tree trunk holding the branches; a car trunk holds your luggage.

📖 Example

We packed all our camping gear into the trunk of the car before starting our road trip. 🔊 We packed all our camping gear into the trunk of the car before starting our road trip.

🔗 Collocations

trunk space – the cargo capacity of a car's trunk

trunk lid – the cover that opens and closes the trunk

pack the trunk – fill the trunk with items

🔄 Synonyms

boot (n.) – British term for car trunk

cargo area (n.) – general term for storage space in a vehicle

luggage compartment (n.) – formal term for trunk

🌱 Derivatives

trunkful (n.) – as much as a trunk can hold

trunkless (adj.) – without a trunk

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'trunk' comes from Latin 'truncus' (tree trunk). Its use for car storage began in the early 1900s when a large box (trunk) was strapped to the back of cars, resembling a tree trunk box.

Meaning 2：tree trunk (trunk)

trunk 🔊

/trʌŋk/

The main, thick stem of a tree that grows up from the ground and supports the branches and leaves.

tree trunk 🔊

➕

/triː trʌŋk/

The trunk is the main woody stem of a tree that supports the branches and carries water and nutrients from roots to leaves.

📁 Category：Botany Research 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The old oak tree had a wide, rough trunk that provided shade for the entire garden. 🔊 The old oak tree had a wide, rough trunk that provided shade for the entire garden.

🔗 Collocations

tree trunk – the main stem of a tree

trunk diameter – the width of a tree trunk measured across

trunk bark – the outer protective layer of a tree trunk

🔄 Synonyms

stem (n.) – the main structural axis of a plant

bole (n.) – the trunk of a tree, especially when used for timber

stalk (n.) – the main stem of a herbaceous plant

🌱 Derivatives

trunked (adj.) – having a trunk (of a tree)

trunking (n.) – the process of forming a trunk

Meaning 3：elephant trunk (trunk)

trunk 🔊

/trʌŋk/

The long, flexible nose of an elephant, which it uses for breathing, smelling, drinking, and picking things up.

Asian elephant extending trunk toward fruit on ground

elephant trunk 🔊

➕

/ˈɛlɪfənt trʌŋk/

An elephant's trunk is a long, muscular, and flexible organ used for breathing, smelling, grasping objects, drinking, and making sounds.

📁 Category：Animal Protection 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The elephant used its powerful trunk to gently lift the baby elephant out of the mud. 🔊 The elephant used its powerful trunk to gently lift the baby elephant out of the mud.

🔗 Collocations

elephant trunk – the long nose of an elephant

trunk curl – the curling movement of an elephant's trunk

trunk muscles – the powerful muscles inside an elephant's trunk

🔄 Synonyms

proboscis (n.) – the long flexible snout of an elephant or other animal

snout (n.) – the projecting nose or mouth of an animal