trash

[trash]

noun

1. anything worthless, useless, or discarded; rubbish.

2. foolish or pointless ideas, talk, or writing; nonsense.

3. a worthless or disreputable person.

4. such persons collectively.

5. literary or artistic material of poor or inferior quality.

   Synonyms: tripe, rubbish, twaddle, hogwash, rot, drivel

6. broken or torn bits, as twigs, splinters, rags, or the like.

7. something that is broken or lopped off from anything in preparing it for use.

8. the refuse of sugarcane after the juice has been expressed.

9. Computers.,  an icon of a trash can that is used to delete files dragged onto it.

verb (used with object)

1. Slang.,  to destroy, damage, or vandalize, as in anger or protest.

   The slovenly renters had trashed the house.

2. to condemn, dismiss, or criticize as worthless.

   The article trashed several recent best-sellers.

3. to remove the outer leaves of (a growing sugarcane plant).

4. to free from superfluous twigs or branches.

trash

¹

/ træʃ /

noun

1. foolish ideas or talk; nonsense

2. useless or unwanted matter or objects

3. a literary or artistic production of poor quality

4. a poor or worthless person or a group of such people

5. bits that are broken or lopped off, esp the trimmings from trees or plants

6. the dry remains of sugar cane after the juice has been extracted

verb

1. to remove the outer leaves and branches from (growing plants, esp sugar cane)

2. slang,  to attack or destroy (someone or something) wilfully or maliciously

trash

²

/ træʃ /

verb

1. (tr) to restrain with or as if with a lead

noun

1. a lead for a dog

Other Word Forms

• trashery noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of trash¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English trasches (plural), apparently cognate with Norwegian trask “rubbish”; akin to Old English trus “brushwood,” Old Norse tros “rubbish”

Word History and Origins

Origin of trash¹

C16: of obscure origin; perhaps related to Norwegian trask

Origin of trash²

C17: perhaps from obsolete French tracier to track, _trace ¹

Example Sentences

After serving any of those purposes, it goes in the trash.

From Salon

Soldiers are seen picking up trash, laying down mulch and chatting aimlessly as they patrol.

From Los Angeles Times

Others come for the yoga, or the telescope or the trash cleanup or a night of sobriety.

From Los Angeles Times

They clutched trash bags and surveyed the expanse of trash-filled sidewalks and gutters before them.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

• debris 
• droppings 
• junk 
• litter 
• residue 
• rubbish 
• rubble 
• sediment 
• waste