scrapyard

American  

[skrap-yahrd] / ˈskræpˌjɑrd /

noun

1. a business with a large space, including outdoor space, to store items or parts purchased from customers for resale as raw material.

   The carmaker sold more than 5,700 pounds of reclaimed copper wire to the scrapyard.

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Etymology

Origin of scrapyard

First recorded in 1860–65; scrap ¹ ( def. ) + yard ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Her brother, John, who runs the family scrapyard, is equally brusque.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

"What is waste to us became something valuable in his hands," scrapyard owner Bostan Khan told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Back at the Agbogbloshie scrapyard in Ghana, the situation is getting worse by the day.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2024

Immediately we see them at the gates of Boomtown — as in “the booms” that destroyed the world — a relatively civilized scrapyard city.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2023

The maritime agency said it believes the artillery shells are linked to the police seizure of dozens of artillery shells and other relics at a scrapyard in Johor earlier this month.

From Seattle Times • May 30, 2023