Hulks

The plural of 'hulk,' a word with several meanings, primarily referring to (1) the decaying or abandoned remains of a ship, often stripped of its usable parts and left to rot, (2) a large, bulky person or thing, suggesting immense size and strength, and (3) a prison ship, particularly a derelict vessel used to detain convicts, often in harsh and inhumane conditions. These meanings share a core idea of something diminished, discarded, or transformed into a site of confinement or immense physical presence. The usage shifts depending on context, encompassing nautical decay, exaggerated physical features, and historical penal practices.

Hulks meaning with examples

• The rusted hulks of forgotten battleships dotted the coastline, monuments to a bygone era of naval dominance and now home only to seabirds and barnacles. Their empty gun turrets and silent decks whispered tales of storms, victories, and ultimately, obsolescence. Years of saltwater and sun had reduced their steel to brittle skeletons against the horizon.
• He resembled a towering *hulk* of a man, his massive frame filling the doorway as he barged into the room. With shoulders broad as a barn door and arms like tree trunks, he exuded an aura of raw, untamed power. His every movement spoke of unimaginable strength and a potential for destruction that made everyone instinctively cower.
• The prisoners were crammed into the rotting hulks moored in the harbor, victims of a merciless legal system. Filthy and disease-ridden, the prisoners were chained below deck, left to endure a life of crushing labor and abysmal conditions. For many, escape was a distant dream.
• In the scrapyard, the massive, discarded hulks of old mining equipment lay strewn across the muddy terrain. The monstrous machinery, once vital to industry, was now left to be salvaged and reused, stripped of valuable materials. This mechanical graveyard reflected an end to the labor, a tangible representation of planned obsolescence.