garbage

noun

gar·​bage ˈgär-bij How to pronounce garbage (audio)
Synonyms of garbagenext
1
a
: food waste
b
: discarded or useless material
2
a
: trash sense 1b
b
: inaccurate or useless data

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of garbage in a Sentence

The park was littered with garbage. Please take out the garbage. Raccoons were going through the garbage. Throw the can in the garbage. If you ask me, what he said is a bunch of garbage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Paragon was one of few splits reliable enough to navigate through the garbage with a semblance of grace, all while encouraging riders to throw little spins, ride switch, and pop off rock-hard pillows without too much concern for landing stability. —Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024 The citizens of this country are not garbage for wanting to be able to afford groceries and a nice place to live. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 But after the feast is done, piles of food scraps and uneaten leftovers find their way into the garbage. —London Gibson, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024 JLo Harris support:Jennifer Lopez says Puerto Rico 'island of garbage' Trump rally jab stung 'every Latino' Who is in the Season 50 'SNL' cast? —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for garbage 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "poultry organs and body parts used for food, poultry refuse," borrowed from Anglo-French *garbage (implied in sergant garbagere "kitchen servant tasked with plucking and cleaning poultry"), of obscure origin

Note: On morphological, semantic, or chronological grounds unlikely to be related to Anglo-French garbeler, Middle English garbelen "to remove (impurities) from spices" (see garble entry 1) or to Middle French gaburge, grabuge "quarrel, brawl." The Anglo-French collocation sergant garbagere indicates currency of the word as early as 1318 (Household Ordinances of Edward II).

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of garbage was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing garbage

Dictionary Entries Near garbage

garb

garbage

garbage can

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Garbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garbage. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

garbage

noun
gar·​bage ˈgär-bij How to pronounce garbage (audio)
1
: food waste
2
: discarded or useless material : refuse
3
: something inferior, worthless, or useless
a show that's garbage

More from Merriam-Webster on garbage

Nglish: Translation of garbage for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of garbage for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about garbage

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