the main stem of a tree, as distinguished from branches and roots
a person's or animal's body apart from the head, limbs, and other appendages; a torso
the main or central part of something, esp a blood vessel or nerve
the long flexible muscular nose of an elephant
a large rigid box with a hinged lid, used for storing or transporting clothing and personal articles
NAmer the boot of a motor vehicle
(used before a noun) relating to or denoting a main transport or communication route
trunkful (pl trunkfuls) noun
trunkless adj
[Middle English via French from Latin truncus tree trunk, torso. (Sense 5) (17th cent.) comes from a Middle English sense ‘box, chest’, orig one made from a tree trunk, hence sense 6; (sense 4) (16th cent.) comes from a more general sense ‘pipe, cylinder’, from the shape of a tree trunk]