garbage
/ˈɡɑɹ.bɪd͡ʒ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.18 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Foul, rotten or unripe vegetable matter.
Australian usage; Canadian usage; American usage; Archaic; Uncountable
noun
Useless or disposable material; waste material of any kind.
Australian usage; Canadian usage; American usage; Uncountable
noun
Specifically, waste material destined not to be reclaimed through recycling, composting, etc.
Australian usage; Canadian usage; American usage; Uncountable
noun
A place or receptacle for waste material.
Australian usage; Canadian usage; American usage; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "The garbage truck collects all residential municipal waste."
- "Compost goes in the brown bin and is picked up Monday, recycling goes in blue bags and is picked up Wednesday, and garbage goes in black bags and is picked up Thursday."
- "Oh, don't put the empty milk jug in that bin—that one's for garbage."
- "He threw the newspaper into the garbage."
- "This machine translation is garbage."
- "The dissenting Christian Advocate asked (5 January 1835) how a cabinet composed of the very garbage of Toryism could be expected to share the spirit of Peel’s manifesto."
Etymology
From late Middle English garbage (“the offal of a fowl, giblets, kitchen waste”, originally “refuse, what is purged away”), from Anglo-Norman, from Old French garber (“to refine, make neat or clean”), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *garwijan (“to make ready”). Akin to Old High German garawan (“to prepare, make ready”), Old English ġearwian (“to make ready, adorn”). More at garb, yare, gear
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɡɑɹ.bɪd͡ʒ/
- British English: /ˈɡɑː.bɪd͡ʒ/