discard

American  

[dih-skahrd, dis-kahrd] / dɪˈskɑrd, ˈdɪs kɑrd /

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).

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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 British  

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

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noun

1. a person or thing that has been cast aside

2. cards a discarded card

3. the act of discarding

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• discardable adjective
• discarder noun
• undiscardable adjective

Etymology

Origin of discard

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

Example Sentences

They follow the trawler, waiting for discarded fish heads and guts which fishermen throw into the sea as they sort through and process their catch.

From BBC

Being scrappy isn’t cutting corners; it’s honoring what’s already here, coaxing richness, texture, and a kind of unexpected delight from what was almost discarded.

From Salon

The number of obituaries for any given period is a preliminary estimate of the confirmed losses, as some need additional verification and will eventually be discarded.

From BBC

Herro favors tech stocks that investors are discarding because they are not AI plays, or because they fear AI will hurt business.

From MarketWatch

These secondary minerals are not the main target of mining operations, so they are often separated out and discarded during processing.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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