junkyard
Americannoun
-
junkyards
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of junkyard
Explanation
A junkyard is a place where garbage is kept, especially scrap metal, until it's sold. Most of the trash in a junkyard can be reused or recycled. Piles of rusted metal and smashed bodies of old cars are common sights at a junkyard. The word clearly comes from the junk, or trash, that's stored there — and although it is undeniably junky, it's also got some value to companies that recycle metal. Junkyards are also called "wrecking yards" or "scrapyards." A "junkyard dog" is a guard dog that keeps watch overnight in case thieves try to steal valuable metal.
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.
See Examples For:
At The Yard, a junkyard playground on a former Coast Guard installation in New York City, children play with hammers, saws and knives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Today, a giant junkyard sells equipment from dismantled juicing plants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Responses on social media to the launch have ranged from describing it as "straight to the junkyard trash" to an "absolute masterclass in design".
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
But for some of those who were hit hardest by the disaster, such as Lara’s junkyard business that was among roughly a dozen merchants operating under the freeway — recovery has been much slower.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
It was the first time I’d heard her speak since the junkyard, and I was worried about how bad she sounded, like somebody with the flu.
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
When Romero arrived at one of these desert junkyards, she says she couldn’t believe her eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2024
He writes other issues the government has not dealt with include the court backlog, fraud against older people, and fly-tipping - which has turned "neighbourhoods into junkyards".
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2023
Autonomous vehicles that are not worth repossessing could be made to drive themselves to junkyards.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
He’d look for parts and scrap in junkyards to repair old vehicles or just build something of use.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2022
“Maybe we could head out to some junkyards like we used to and see if we can find something worth fixing up.”
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
