discard

[dih-skahrd, dis-kahrd]

verb (used with object)

1. to cast aside or dispose of; get rid of.

   to discard an old hat.

   Antonyms: retain, preserve, keep, hold

2. Cards.

   1. to throw out (a card or cards) from one's hand.

   2. to play (a card, not a trump, of a different suit from that of the card led).

verb (used without object)

1. Cards.,  to discard a card or cards.

noun

1. the act of discarding.

2. a person or thing that is cast out or rejected.

3. Cards.,  a card or cards discarded.

discard

verb

1. (tr) to get rid of as useless or undesirable

2. cards to throw out (a card or cards) from one's hand

3. cards to play (a card not of the suit led nor a trump) when unable to follow suit

noun

1. a person or thing that has been cast aside

2. cards a discarded card

3. the act of discarding

Other Word Forms

• discardable adjective
• discarder noun
• undiscardable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of discard¹

First recorded in 1580–90; dis- ¹ + card ¹

Example Sentences

There are no discarded once-frozen coffee drinks sweating rings onto wooden tables; no empty Styrofoam takeout containers littering kitchen counters mere inches away from the trash can.

From Los Angeles Times

The lawyers also argued that the multi-million punitive damages award should be discarded or significantly reduced because such punishment requires clear evidence of "egregious wrongdoing" by the manufacturer.

From BBC

Singer declined to comment on reports about the discarded ashes.

From Los Angeles Times

A Canadian man dug through piles of rubbish at his local dump in a valiant, romantic - and ultimately successful - effort to find his wife's accidentally discarded wedding rings.

From BBC

The immediate collateral damage in shaping a United squad to fit that system was the discarding of five players - four of whom are senior internationals who prefer to play wide.

From BBC

Related Words

• abandon 
• cancel 
• dispense with 
• dispose of 
• ditch 
• dump 
• eliminate 
• give up 
• jettison 
• reject 
• remove 
• renounce 
• repeal 
• scrap 
• shed 

When To Use

What does discard mean?

To discard something is to dispose of it or get rid of it.In card games, to discard a card is to get rid of it, such as by putting it in the discard pile. Discard can also be used as a noun referring to a card that has been discarded. It can also be used as a noun in a general way, but this is less common.Example: You should have thought about fixing up that old chair instead of just discarding it.