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ashcan

[ ash-kan ]
/ ˈæʃˌkæn /
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See synonyms for ashcan on Thesaurus.com
noun
a large metal barrel, can, or similar receptacle for ashes, garbage, or refuse.
Slang. a depth charge.
Movies. an arc light of 1000 watts, enclosed in a reflector.
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Origin of ashcan

First recorded in 1895–1900; ash1 + can2

Words nearby ashcan

Ashbery, ash-blond, Ashburton, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, ashcake, ashcan, ashcan school, Ashcroft, ASHD, Ashdod, Ashdown
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to ashcan

dustbin, trash can, wastebasket, circular file, wastepaper basket, skip

How to use ashcan in a sentence

  • It is to be published on sugar-cured oilskin, the edition to be limited to two numbered copies—one for me and one for the ashcan.

    Bizarre|Lawton Mackall

  • Paul thought it time to beat a silent retreat in the direction of the ashcan he had selected as his cover.

    The Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour|George A. Warren

British Dictionary definitions for ashcan

ash can
noun
a US word for dustbin Also called: garbage can, ash bin, trash can
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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