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

• discarder noun
• discardable adjective
• undiscardable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of discard¹

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

Example Sentences

Mr Lee also says conversations are saved temporarily for quality assurance but discarded after 30 days.

From BBC

The prosecution said the girls were abused, degraded and then "discarded" by the paedophiles, who worked either at the market or as taxi drivers.

From BBC

The technique is far from polished as the egg randomly chooses which chromosomes to discard.

From BBC

Francis spent a few weeks sorting through the archive and discarding lasts and shoe boxes that were too covered in mold or deteriorated to be worth keeping.

From Los Angeles Times

The neighbour was described as having disappeared, with one police source saying he "seemed to have vanished" and discarded his phone.

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.