wreckern.1
/ˈrɛkə/, U.S. /ˈrɛkər/ 1. figurative.a1862 H. D. Thoreau Cape Cod (1865) vi. 105 Are we not all wreckers contriving that some treasure may be washed up on our beach..?figurative.1883 American 6 37 Lawyers and agents, who might be described with fairness as ‘wreckers’ and who generally manage to absorb the assets.1903 Westm. Gaz. 28 Feb. 10/1 As a wrecker of Cabinets Ireland holds a proud position.
a. One who causes shipwreck, exp. for purposes of plunder by showing luring lights or false signals; a person who makes a business of watching for and plundering wrecked vessels; also, one who wrongfully seizes or appropriates wreck washed ashore.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > shipwreck > [noun] > cause of shipwreck > one who causes shipwreck
sea-coasterc1550
moon-curser1807
wrecker1820
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > thief > robber > sacker, raider, or looter > [noun] > causer of shipwreck or plunderer of wreckage
wrecker1820
1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. (1821) I. 27 The good people..thronged like wreckers to get some part of the noble vessel..driven on shore.
1843 Times 20 Jan. 3/6 Although the officers of the coast-guard keep a sharp look-out, considerable depredation was carried on by the wreckers.
1882 F. W. Farrar Early Christianity xxii Cornish wreckers went straight from church to light their beacon-fires.
b. One who wrecks or ruins a structure, institution, concern, etc.
ΘΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > [noun] > one who or that which destroys
baneOE
losera1340
leeserc1380
stroyerc1380
destroyer1382
ravenerc1390
castera1400
confounder1401
wastera1425
stroyc1440
undoerc1440
unmakerc1450
confounderess1509
hydraa1513
stroy-good1540
abolisher1548
thunderbolt1559
disannullera1572
stroy-all1573
ruiner1581
down-puller1583
murdererc1585
spendingc1595
blaster1598
assassin1609
ruinater1609
dissolver1611
minerc1614
destructioner1621
fordoer1631
sinker1632
destructive1640
deletery1642
assassinatea1658
ruinator1658
destroyeress1662
destructora1691
dissolvent1835
solvent1841
wrecker1882
destructant1889
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > damage > [noun] > one who or that which damages
spulyierc1475
marrerc1500
maimer1530
hinderer1532
nipper1535
mangler1561
spoiler1577
truncator1579
batterer1611
spoil?1611
mauler1618
wrecker1882
1882 C. G. Walpole Short Hist. Irel. 441 The Defenders especially had begun to turn the tables upon the ‘wreckers’, and were the terror of the country side.
1889 F. A. Gasquet Henry VIII & Eng. Monasteries II. 426 Like a swarm of locusts the royal wreckers went forth over the land.
c. figurative. One who wrecks, or successfully obstructs the passing of a measure, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > deliberative, legislative, or administrative assembly > governing or legislative body of a nation or community > procedure of parliament or national assembly > [noun] > obstruction of business > one who
obstructionist1846
filibuster1889
wrecker1892
1892 Pall Mall Gaz. 12 July 1/2 If..they are not able to reckon more than 8 Parnellite ‘wreckers’.
1901 Scotsman 20 Nov. 8/4 The wreckers in the Senate claimed for America the right of fortifying the Canal.
2. Stock Market. (See first quot.)
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > dealer in stocks and shares > type of
profit taker1552
bull1714
bear1718
fund-monger1734
lame duck1806
stag1845
taker-in1852
cornerer1869
wrecker1876
corner-man1881
market-rigger1881
boursocrat1882
offeror1882
ribbon clerk1882
inflater1884
manipulator1888
underwriter1889
kangaroo1896
piker1898
share pusher1898
specialist1900
tailer1900
writer1906
placee1953
corporate raider1955
tippee1961
raider1972
bottom fisher1974
white knight1978
greenmailer1984
1876 ‘E. Pinto’ Ye outside Fools! 359 Wreckers,..those who make a similarly-organized attack as bears upon some stock, rotten or good,..and force down the price by large and successive sudden sales.
1884 American 8 84 The clamor of contending inflaters and wreckers at the stock exchange.
3. A demolition worker.
ΘΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > breaking or cracking > [noun] > demolition > one who demolishes or ruins
demolisher1615
dilapidator1812
house wrecker1849
housebreaker1870
wrecking company1940
wrecker1958
1958 J. Thurber in Atlantic Monthly Feb. 52/1 Jacob Volk, a building wrecker..who tore down two hundred and fifty big structures in Manhattan.
1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 6/3 I was saddened to discover wreckers' hoardings surrounding the Royal Bank building at 10-12 King Street East.
1977 H. Fast Immigrants vi. 352 He stood on the corner of California Street on Nob Hill watching the wreckers take the Seldon mansion apart, stone by stone.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
wreckern.2
/ˈrɛkə/, U.S. /ˈrɛkər/ Originally (and chiefly) North American.
1. A person engaged in salving wrecked or endangered vessels or cargo; a salvager, salvor.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > one who travels by water or sea > sailor > sailors involved in specific duties or activities > [noun] > one who salvages wrecks
saver1541
salvor1678
wrecker1804
salvager1829
1804 D. M’Kinnen Tour Brit. W. Indies ix. 137 Those persons called wreckers, who are licensed by the Governor of the Bahamas, and cruise amongst these islands for the benefit of salvage.
1819 Edwards' Hist. W. Indies (ed. 5) IV. 225 The business of wreckers..consists in giving assistance to those who are wrecked, or in danger of being so, upon the almost endless rocks and shoals [of the Bahamas].
1851 E. Lucett Rovings in Pacific I. 173 Our own vessel..had heeled on to a sunken patch in the offing... It gave us wreckers a tremendous fright.
1875 Talmage Old Wells 273 The wreckers shoot a rope out to the suffering men.
2.
a. A ship or vessel employed in salvaging sunk, wrecked, or stranded vessels.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessels with other specific uses > [noun] > salvage vessel
wrecker1789
salvor1815
1789 O. Equiano Interesting Narr. Life II. viii. 57 They met with this little sloop, called a wrecker; their employment in those seas being to look after wrecks.
1864 in Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang.
1868 H. D. Grant Rep. Wrecking in Bahamas 62 The harbour-master.., who formerly commanded a wrecker and now owns licensed wrecking vessels.
1898 Westm. Gaz. 14 July 5/2 The Wreckers and Admiral Cervera's Vessels.
b. A railway vehicle with a crane or hoist for removing crashed trains or similar obstructions; also, a breakdown truck. Also attributive.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > rail travel > rolling stock > [noun] > vehicle for removing wreckage or obstructions
wrecker1904
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > motor lorry, truck, or van > [noun] > truck or lorry > break-down truck
wrecker1955
society > travel > rail travel > rolling stock > [adjective] > removing wreckage or obstructions
wrecker1973
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > motor lorry, truck, or van > [adjective] > relating to emergency truck for crash
wrecker1978
1904 Booklovers' Mag. May 663 This special train has been dubbed the ‘Wrecker’. Really it is a relief train, ready to respond to any call for aid in case of accident.
1955 V. Nabokov Lolita II. xxx. 188 Around midnight, a wrecker dragged my car out.
1970 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 28 Sept. 31/6 (caption) Ward has picked Maggie up..in a wrecker!
1973 Amer. Speech 1969 44 257 The wrecker train..has a flatcar with a crane.
1978 Detroit Free Press 16 Apr. f8/10 (advt.) Business offered... Car wash, wrecker service and..service station.
1980 R. L. Duncan Brimstone vi. 126 A couple of police cars and a wrecker pulling apart three cars that had tailgated.
3. A person employed to assist hunters who get into difficulties. Now rare.
ΚΠ
1932 H. Maxwell Evening Memories 120 Neither during that or subsequent visits had I occasion for the services of a wrecker.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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