shipwreck

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [U,C] the loss or destruction of a ship at sea because of a storm or because it hits rocks, etc: They narrowly escaped shipwreck in a storm in the North Sea. * The shipwreck of the tanker has caused one of the worst oil spills in recent years. 2 [C] a ship that has been lost or destroyed at sea: The contents of shipwrecks belong to the state. verb [VN] (be shipwrecked) to be left somewhere after the ship that you have been sailing in has been lost or destroyed at sea: They were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa. shipwrecked adjective: a shipwrecked sailor