garbage can
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of garbage can
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Next to an upside-down garbage can improbably sprouting legs and a head and tinnily broadcasting “God Bless America” is a figure group modeled on the famous image of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
"They don't see us as a town. To them we're just another garbage can," she said.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
A few minutes later I came upon another man, who was digging through a garbage can for something to drink.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025
He recently referred to the U.S. as a whole as “a dumping ground,” saying, “We’re like a garbage can for the world.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2024
And there he stood, a sombrero on his head, a wool blanket around his shoulders, and his leg in a garbage can.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
