Standard Lemma guide

wrecker

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈɹɛkɚ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛkə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: R EH1 K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: breaker, knacker; salvager, salvor; scrapper, scrap dealer; shipbreaker, car breaker

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: breaker, knacker, salvager, salvor, scrapper, scrap dealer, shipbreaker, car breaker

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who breaks up situations or events.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • home wrecker / marriage wrecker / party wrecker

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A tow truck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A mooncusser (type of land-based pirate).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking; that is, of undermining the state in intangible ways.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Qualifier: Soviet Union; crime; Soviet Union; crime

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a truck equipped to hoist and pull wrecked cars (or to remove cars from no-parking zones)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tow truck, tow car

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: truck, motortruck

7

noun

Meaning 7

someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: saboteur, diversionist

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: destroyer, ruiner, undoer, waster, uprooter

Narrower terms: sleeper

8

noun

Meaning 8

someone who demolishes or dismantles buildings as a job

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: laborer, manual laborer, labourer, jack

Narrower terms: housewrecker, housebreaker, knacker

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English wreck Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English wrecker From wreck + -er.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: desballestador — person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts
  • Catalan: desballestadora — person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts
  • Greek: αφανιστής (afanistís) — person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts
  • Greek: αφανίστρια (afanístria) — person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts
  • Italian: sfasciacarrozze — person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts
  • Japanese: 解体屋 (kaitaiya) — person or company that dismantles old or wrecked vehicles or other items, to reclaim useful parts
  • Arabic: مُخَرِّب (muḵarrib) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Italian: demolitore — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Italian: demolitrice — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Italian: disgregatore — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Italian: disgregatrice — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Italian: sfasciafamiglie — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Japanese: 破壊者 (hakaisha) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Korean: 방해꾼 (banghaekkun) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Korean: 파괴자 (pagoeja) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Persian: مخرب (moxarreb) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Persian: خرابکار (xarâbkâr) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Russian: вреди́тель (vredítelʹ) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Russian: вреди́тельница (vredítelʹnica) — one who breaks up situations, events
  • Belarusian: шко́днік (škódnik) — (Soviet Union, crime, historical) someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking
  • Belarusian: шко́дніца (škódnica) — (Soviet Union, crime, historical) someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking
  • Russian: вреди́тель (vredítelʹ) — (Soviet Union, crime, historical) someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking
  • Russian: вреди́тельница (vredítelʹnica) — (Soviet Union, crime, historical) someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking
  • Ukrainian: шкідни́к (škidnýk) — (Soviet Union, crime, historical) someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking
  • Ukrainian: шкідни́ця (škidnýcja) — (Soviet Union, crime, historical) someone accused of the formal charge of wrecking