junkman

¹ American  

[juhngk-man] / ˈdʒʌŋkˌmæn /

noun

plural

junkmen

1. a dealer in resalable used metal, paper, rags, and other junk.

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junkman ² American  

[juhngk-muhn, -man] / ˈdʒʌŋk mən, -ˌmæn /

noun

plural

junkmen

1. a member of the crew of a junk.

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junkman British  

/ ˈdʒʌŋkˌmæn /

noun

1. Also called: rag-and-bone man.  a man who buys and sells discarded clothing, furniture, etc

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Etymology

Origin of junkman¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; junk ¹ + man

Origin of junkman²

First recorded in 1860–65; junk ² + man

Example Sentences

So just how good was Ed Asner, this down-to-earth son of a Kansas City junkman who broke free from his parents’ towropes of heavy skepticism by becoming an A-list actor?

From Washington Post • Aug. 30, 2021

Then there is Bubby Guest, a Brunswick, Ga., junkman, poor because he is sick.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2016

Tom Waits may pay the mortgage as a musician, but he clearly has the heart of a junkman.

From Time • Oct. 25, 2011

Lindy had a junkman haul my furniture away while I was at work.

From Slate

Nobody knew, so it was sold to a junkman and hauled off to be broken up for scrap metal.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury