Now arch. or dial. Also 5–7 wracke, 6–7 Sc. wrak, 9 rack. [f. WRACK sb.2 Cf. WRECK v.1]
† 1. intr. To suffer or undergo shipwreck. Obs.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VIII. xxxviii. 331. One told hym there was a knyghte of kyng Arthur þ[a]t had wrackyd on the rockes.
1596. [A. Munday], trans. Sylvain’s Orator, 333. The ship happened to wracke, so that the poore man and his daughter saued themselues in a little Island.
a. 1620. J. Dyke, Sel. Serm. (1640), 146. When a Shippe wrackes at Sea, the goods are utterly lost.
1632. Sanderson, Serm., 56. We may … cast our wares into the Sea, to lighten the ship that it wracke not.
fig. and in fig. context. a. 1592. Greene, Alcida (1617), C 1 b. Thus selfe-loue … Makes beautie wracke against an ebbing tide.
1596. Bp. Andrewes, Serm. (1629), 327. Their Love hath wracked, and from kind love, beene turned to deadly hate.
1616. B. Jonson, Forrest, iii. 95. God wisheth none should wracke on a strange shelfe.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 223. Sir, you haue beene saued vpon my coast, I hope you will not suffer mee to wrack vpon yours.
2. trans. To wreck (a vessel, mariners, etc.); to ruin or cast ashore by shipwreck. Chiefly pass.
1562. A. Brooke, Romeus & Jul., 1368. Driuen hard vpon the bare and wrackfull shore, In greater daunger to be wract, then he had been before.
1593. Marlowe, Edw. II., II. ii. I feare me he is wrackt vpon the sea.
1596. Bacon, Max. & Use Com. Law, I. (1636), 44. Goods wrackt … shall be preserved to the use of the owner.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. (1634), 86. They pursuing the victorie, had left part of the fleet … to save those that were wrackt.
1683. Brit. Spec., 86. Most of the Fleet, wrackt that Night by a sudden Tempest, lay split on the Shore.
1699. T. Allison, Voy. Archangel, 22. Putting provision therein for subsistance, in case we should be forced ashore and wracked.
1755. Johnson.
1838. J. F. Cooper, Homeward Bound, xxiv. I esteem it a great privilege … to have the honour of being wracked … in such company. Ibid. If she [the ship] had been honorably and fairly wracked.
1871. Palgrave, Lyr. Poems, 19. The seas … With outstretch’d angry arms … Wracking whole fleets in pride like riven toys.
fig. and in fig. context. 1583. Greene, Mamillia, Wks. (Grosart), II. 193. A professed Curtizan, whose honestie and credit is so wracked in the waues of wantonnesse. Ibid., 242. No … tempests of aduersitie shal … wracke my fancie against the slipperie rockes of inconstancie.
1594. Selimus, G 3 b. My feeble barke,… while thy foamie floud doth it immure. Shall soon be wrackt vpon the sandie shallowes.
1598–9. B. Jonson, Case Altered, II. vii. O! in what tempests do my fortunes saile, Still wrackt with winds more foule and contrary, Then any other northern guest.
1670. Dryden, 1st Pt. Conq. Granada, III. (1672), 23. Though wrack’d and lost, My Ruines stand to warn you from the Coast.
a. 1699. J. Beaumont, Psyche, I. ccxvii. Till miserably wrack’d, most woful she Quite sinks in this self-torments monstrous Sea.
[1897. W. Beatty, Secretar, x. 77. The wind that drave them … was the same that had wracked … Darnley, and Bodwell.]
3. To cause the ruin, downfall or subversion of (a person, etc.); to ruin, overthrow. Also refl.
1564. Queen Mary, in Reg. Privy Council Scot., XIV. 201. Seing the puir men, awnaris of the saidis ship and guidis, ar … uterlie heriit and wrakkit.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 186. Suppose we suld wrack [1621 wrake] our self, and tyne The feild, and all our kin be hangit syne.
a. 1586. Sidney, Ps. XLI. iv. Now he is wrackt, say they, loe their he lies.
1604. A. Craig, Poet. Ess., A 4. When Troy was wrackt,… He came…. Yet sayd he nought.
1628. Prynne, Love-lockes, 59. Externall Beautie … betrays and wrackes the Soules of many.
1792. Burns, ‘What can a young lassie,’ iv. I’ll cross him, and wrack him, until I heart-break him.
1810. in R. H. Cromek, Remains, 27. He’ll dance wi’ ye, ‘O’er Bogie,’ Maiden, and wrack ye.
refl. 1595. Daniel, Civ. Wars, III. xvi. 47 b. That weake, and enuied if they should conspire They wracke themselues, and he hath his desire.
b. To render useless by breaking, shattering, etc.; to injure or spoil severely; to destroy.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1310/2. In the towne of Bedford the water came vp to the market place…; their fewell, corne and haie was wrackt & borne awaie.
a. 1593. Marlowe, Dido, I. i. of them all scarce seuen [ships] doe anchor safe, And they so wrackt and weltred by the waues [etc.].
a. 1678. Marvell, Bermudas, 9. Where he the huge Sea-Monsters wracks, That lift the Deep upon their Backs.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VII. xxxviii. As if the world’s wide continent Had fallen in universal ruin wracked.
1845. Mrs. S. C. Hall, Whiteboy, vi. 56. The [castle] … is wracked by the Saxon’s breath.
1899. S. Macmanus, Chimney Corners, 252. His queeny bee … was wrackin’ an’ ruinin’ all afore her.
transf. a. 1586. Sidney, Astr. & Stella, Sonn. lxvii. Doth Stella now beginne with pitteous eye The raigne of this her conquest to espie? Will she take time before all wracked be?
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. i. 97. Eightie odde yeeres of sorrow haue I seene, And each howres ioy wrackt with a weeke of teene.
1648. J. Beaumont, Psyche, III. cxxxii. The Precedent may dangerous prove, and wrack Thy Throne and Kingdome.
4. intr. To undergo ruin or subversion.
a. 1586. Sidney, Ps. XXXVII. xviii. [Those] who be swarved To ill, both they and theirs shall wrack.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 191. Ayde … without which the whole Empire were in daunger of wracking.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xlvi. 56. I smore if I conceill, I wrak if I reveill, My hurt.
1607. J. Carpenter, Plaine Mans Plough, 89. What gaine these … when they … themselves remaine castawayes, wracking in the depth of hell.
Hence Wracking vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1611. Cotgr., Ruinement, a ruining, *wracking, spoyling.
1642. Vicars, God in Mount, 13. The utter wracking and worrying of the … holy lambes of Christ.
1611. Cotgr., Naufrageux, *wracking, shipwrack-bringing.
