scrapyard

American  

[skrap-yahrd] / ˈskræpˌyɑrd /

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

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

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

In Louisville, Ky., law enforcement arrested seven people in an alleged copper-theft scheme based on a tip from a scrapyard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

She worked part-time for her father's scrapyard while pursuing various passion projects.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2025

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 believed the rusty cannon shell was linked to the police seizure of dozens of unexploded artillery and other relics at a private scrapyard in Johor.

From Seattle Times • May 29, 2023