Also 5, 6 Sc. wrak, 6 wracke, 9 Sc. vrack. [a. (M)LG. or Du. wrak (whence MHG. and G. dial. wrack refuse, rubbish, Da. vrag, Sw. vrak, refuse); see also WRAKE sb.3, WRECK sb.2, and cf. WRACK a.]
1. That which is of an inferior, poor or worthless quality; waste material; rubbish. Now rare.
1472–5. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 156/1. Such [bowstaves] as were called the wrak, not goode ne able to make of but Childern’ Bowes.
1492–3. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 249. Reparaciones [on a mill];… pro cariagio le ramell et wrak a scaccario usque Viram.
1542–3. Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII., c. 9 § 4. That no persone or persones doo caste or unlade out of any maner of Ship … any maner of Balaste rubbishe gravell or any other wracke or filthe, but oonelie upon the Lande.
1866. Gregor, Banffshire Gloss., 204. Vrack, anything worthless. Ibid. ‘His nout’s jist mere vrack.’
1885. Pall Mall Gaz., 27 March 4. They send anything—the very wrack of towns—instead of the valuable agricultural labourer which we want.
† b. Sc. World’s wrack, earthly ‘pelf’ or ‘dross’; worldly possessions, goods or gear. Obs.
c. 1480. Henryson, Swallow & Birds, 307 (Bann.). Our wickit ennemye … evir is reddye, Quhen wretchis in þis warldis wrak do scraip, To draw his nett.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxiii. 10. For warldis wrak but weilfair nocht awailis.
a. 1568. in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Cl.), 223. Quhill … stuffit weill with warldis wrak, Amang my freindis I wes weill kend.
a. 1586. in Maitland Fol. MS. (S.T.S.), 241. Now he hes gold and warldis wrak lyand him besyd.
1792. Burns, My Wife’s a winsome wee thing, iv. The warld’s wrack we share o’t, The warstle and the care o’t.
2. An inferior grade of flax. Also attrib.
1879. J. Paton, in Encycl. Brit., IX. 298/1. Of the lower qualities of Riga flax the following may be named:—Wrack flax, White picked wrack,… Picked wrack flax. Ibid. The lowest quality of Riga flax is … Dreiband Wrack.
