Forms: 1 wræc, 3–5, Sc. 6 wrak, 4 wrac, 4– wrack, 6–7 wracke. [OE. wræc neut., f. pret. stem of wrecan to drive, etc., WREAK v. Cf. WRACK sb.2, by which the later senses (esp. sense 5) may partly have been influenced; in writers of the 16–17th cent. it is sometimes uncertain which word is intended.
The evidence of rhymes shows that early northern ME. instances of the spelling, wrak usually have a long vowel, and belong to WRAKE sb.1]
I. 1. Retributive punishment; vengeance, revenge; in later use also, hostile action, active enmity, persecution. Obs. exc. arch. or poet.
Freq. coupled with words of similar meaning, as war, wrath, wreak, and tending to pass into sense 2.
c. 900. trans. Baeda’s Hist., IV. xxv. (1890), 356. Hi … mid þy wiite ðæs foresprecenan wræces slæʓene wæron.
971. Blickl. Hom., 25. Þæt unasecgenlice wræc & þæt unʓeendode wite, þæt þon unlædon þær ʓeteohhod biþ.
13[?]. Cursor M., 890 (Gött.). Til þat worm vr lauerd þan spack wordis bath of wreth and wrack.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), I. 24. Sic diuisioun may nocht lest rycht lang, But weir and wrak and mekle opin wrang.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 177. And yet can man … Use wracke for rewth! can murder like him best?
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Psalms LXXVIII. xix. Now pine and paine conspire With angry angells wreak and wrack to frame.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. ii. 21. There gan he … with bitter wracke To wreake on me the guilt of his owne wrong.
1863. Longf., Wayside Inn, K. Olaf, II. v. Strange memories crowded back of Queen Gunhild’s wrath and wrack.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., II. III. 516. Will it bring him back To let loose on the country war and wrack?
fig. 1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 49. Hath he not lost much wealth by wrack of sea?
† b. In the phr. to do or take wrack (on one).
12[?]. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), I. 91. Tol Tem Sok et Sak with yryn’ and with water deme and do wrak.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 1585. Myn hornys [are made] for to take wrak On shrewes, & to putte abak.
2. Damage, disaster or injury to a person, state, etc., by reason of force, outrage or violence; devastation, destruction.
In very frequent use from c. 1580 to c. 1640.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 5426. The tother [bow], hydouse and ryght blak, Wrought al oonly for the wrak, Ful of knottys. Ibid. (1412–20), Chron. Troy, I. 2184. For lak of manhod drawiþ hym euer a-bak; He is so dredful and ferful of þe wrak.
1557. Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 188. The golden apple that the Troyan boy Gaue to Venus…, Which was the cause of all the wrack of Troy.
1561. Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, V. ii. Loe, here … the wofull wracke And ytter ruine of this noble realme!
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, VI. 120. On this odde knight alacke We neuer shall set eyes againe, this day wil be his wracke.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., IV. ix. 25. Eftsoones the others … on their foes did worke full cruell wracke.
1634. Malory’s Arthur, I. cxxxix. Ff 2. If he be angry he wil … worke you much wrack in this countrey.
1640. T. Carew, Perswasions to love, 69. Time and age will worke that wrack Which time or age shall ne’er call back.
1659. Bibliotheca Regia (title-p.), Such of the Papers … as have escaped the wrack and ruines of these times.
1817. Scott, Harold, I. i. When he hoisted his standard black, Before him was battle, behind him wrack.
1853. M. Arnold, Sohrab & Rustum, 414. The wind in winter-time Has made in Himalayan forests wrack.
1873. Dixon, Two Queens, I. 122. While the country was a prey to fire and sword, the Church stood high above the wrack and waste.
b. In the phr. to bring, go, put, run to wrack (and ruin). Also fig. Cf. RACK sb.5 1.
In freq. use, esp. with go (went), c. 1560–c. 1680.
1412. Lydg., Chron. Troy, Prol. 161. For nere writers, al wer out of mynde, Nat story only, but of nature and kynde The trewe knowyng schulde haue gon to wrak. Ibid. (1420–2), Thebes, II. 2215. Vpon his foon he rolled it [sc. a huge stone] at onys, That ten of hem wenten vnto wrak.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 41. What did monkes and fryeres thanne, When masse went thus to wracke?
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, III. iii. P iij b. He whose shyppe is gone to wracke.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 70. This Arke … by diuine prouidence … was gouerned from running to wracke.
1591. Spenser, Tears of Muses, 400. Thy scepter rent, and power put to wrack.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 111. Arezzo beeing by long dissention amongest themselues almost brought to wracke.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, XVI. 67. The greater part of his army … were all put to wrack.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 670. And now all Heav’n Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspred.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Josephus, Antiq., V. ii. (1733), 115. All their Affairs went to wrack upon it.
1757. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), II. 421. All nature was going to wrack…. Gods and men were perishing in one common ruin.
1864. Kingsley, Roman & T., ii. (1875), 31. All things were going to wrack.
1876. Browning, Pacchiarotto, etc., 129. The man but for whom had gone to wrack All that France saved from the fight.
(b) 1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist., I. ix. 12. Herod … supposing … his rule to goe to wracke, and ruine.
1577. H. Bull, trans. Luther’s Comm. Ps. (1615), 287. Whiles all things seeme to fall to wracke and ruine.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm., 196. Gods familie and the common wealth goe to wracke and ruine.
c. In other phrases, as † at, in wrack. rare.
1592. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, I. (1595), 51. When Rome was now at wracke, her Nobilitie spoyled, and her glorie trode vnder foote.
1901. J. Barlow, Ghost-bereft, 113. Round his gang crashed roof and wall in wrack.
d. dial. The brunt or consequences of some action. (Cf. RACKET sb.3 4.)
1844. W. Barnes, Dorset Gloss., s.v., ‘Mind you’ll stan’ the wrack o’t’.
1871–. in south. dial. use (Oxf., Berks., Devon): Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v.
3. A disastrous change in a state or condition of affairs; wreck, ruin, subversion. ? Obs.
c. 1400. Found. St. Bartholomew’s, 49. Where oure dede and purpos ys of the wracke of chastite.
1557. Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 256. A frend no wracke of wealth, no cruell cause of wo, Can force his frendly faith vnfrendly to forgo.
1588. Greene, Metam., Wks. (Grosart), IX. 87. Wit oft hath wracke by selfe-conceit of pride.
1591. 2nd Pt. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), 108. What haue I lou’d but wracke of others weale?
1595. Markham, Sir R. Grinvile (Arb.), 42. The wet worlds sacke Swells in my song, the Dirge for glories wracke.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, III. v. 24. The miserie is example, that so terrible shewes in the wracke of maidenhood.
1692. Locke, 3rd Let. Toleration, x. 281. Toleration then does not … make that woful wrack on True Religion which you talk of.
1823. Scott, Peveril, xxvii. He that serves Peveril munna be slack, Neither for weather, nor yet for wrack.
1862. Lytton, Strange Story, II. 159. Have all those sound resolutions … melted away in the wrack of haggard dissolving fancies!
† b. The ruin, downfall or overthrow of a person or persons; adversity, misfortune. Obs.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 7727. Lat no man … with hys wordys falsly smyte, Malycyously to make wrak Off hys neyhebour.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 21. Tyrantis settand thair haill purpois and intent vpone mischeiff and wrack of vtheris.
a. 1586. Sidney, Astr. & Stella, Sonn. xix. On Cupids bowe, how are my hart strings bent, That see my wracke, and yet imbrace the same?
1595. Markham, Sir R. Grinvile, lvii. To flye from them … Were to … crush my selfe with shame and seruile wrack.
1625. A. Gil, Sacred Philos., i. 119. By sinne there was a generall wrack of mankinde.
1667. Denham, Direct. Painter, 55. Presuming of his certain wrack, To help him late, they send for Rupert back.
a. 1699. J. Beaumont, Psyche, II. cxxxvii. That smooth-tongu’d Gale whose whispers woke That Wrack which stole on me.
II. † 4. An instance of suffering or causing wreck, ruin, destruction, etc. Obs.
1594. Kyd, Cornelia, V. i. Amongst so many wracks As I haue suffred both by Land and Sea.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, 609. The new Conquerours … by wrackes testified to the earth, that they had wrecked themselues on her and their enemies.
1630. Lord, Banians, 33. Thunder and lightning … such as seemed to threaten a finall wracke to the earth.
1632. Heywood, 1st Pt. Iron Age, I. i. Troy was twice rac’t, and Troy deseru’d that wracke.
† b. A means or cause of subversion, overthrow, or downfall. Obs.
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 20. The Syrens song is the Saylers wrack.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. ii. 105. And thus I feare at last, Humes Kuauerie will be the Duchesse Wracke.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, II. 781. The fool Amphimachus, to field, brought gold to be his wrack.
1613. Day, Festivals (1615), ix. 248. How at length might it haue prooved a wrack to his owne Person.
1650. W. Brough, Sacr. Princ. (1659), 183. When shall I be delivered from thee, gaol of my soul, and wrack of my salvation.
1682. Cochran, in Howie, Cloud of Witnesses (1778), 199. Jugling with the Lord … hath been our ruin and wrack.
5. A thing or person in an impaired, wrecked or shattered condition. (Cf. WRACK sb.2)
a. 1586. Sidney, Psalms XXXVII. xv. The mann whom God directs,… Though he doth fall, no wrack he proveth.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 366. Young one,… who is this Thou mak’st thy bloody Pillow?… What ’s thy interest in this sad wracke?
a. 1803. in Child, Ballads, IV. 187/2. O spare me, Clyde’s water,… Mak me your wrack as I come back, But spare me as I gae.
1866. Gregor, Banffshire Gloss., 204. Vrack,… a broken down person.
1888. Scot. Sermons, in Brit. Workman, May. Doon gaed the biggin’, an unco wrack.
b. That which remains after the operation of any destructive action or agency; a vestige or trace left by some subversive cause. Also fig.
In later use, esp. with leave, freq. by misapprehension of Shaks., Temp., IV. i. 156, where the reading (altered by Malone to wrack) is racke: see RACK sb.1 3 b.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. iv. I am a poore, poore orphant—a weake, weake childe, The wrack of splitted fortune.
1656. Cowley, Pindar. Odes, Muse, iii. note. Poetry … makes what Choice it pleases out of the Wrack of Time of things that it will save from Oblivion.
1793. Wordsw., Evening Walk, 360. No wrack of all the pageant scene remains.
1813. Byron, Giaour, 1237. The wither’d frame, the ruin’d mind, The wrack by passion left behind.
1878. Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 406. An ancient seat of civilisation … was swept away at a single stroke, leaving hardly a wrack behind.
† c. A damaged or injured part; damage, impairment. Also fig. Obs.
1601. Donne, Progr. Soul, I. vii. This soule which oft did teare And mend the wracks of th’ Empire.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xvii. 151. With the threeds … [the spider] repaireth all rents and wracks of the same [web]. Ibid. A man carefull of his priuate estate, and of good foresight, in repairing of small decaies and preuenting of wracks.
a. 1631. Donne, Paradoxes (1652), 9. We mend the wrack and stains of our apparel.
