trash

American  

[trash] / træʃ /

noun

1. anything worthless, useless, or discarded; rubbish.

2. foolish or pointless ideas, talk, or writing; nonsense.

3. a worthless or disreputable person.

4. such persons collectively.

5. literary or artistic material of poor or inferior quality.

   Synonyms:

   tripe, rubbish, twaddle, hogwash, rot, drivel

6. broken or torn bits, as twigs, splinters, rags, or the like.

7. something that is broken or lopped off from anything in preparing it for use.

8. the refuse of sugarcane after the juice has been expressed.

9. Computers. an icon of a trash can that is used to delete files dragged onto it.

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verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to destroy, damage, or vandalize, as in anger or protest.

   The slovenly renters had trashed the house.

2. to condemn, dismiss, or criticize as worthless.

   The article trashed several recent best-sellers.

3. to remove the outer leaves of (a growing sugarcane plant).

4. to free from superfluous twigs or branches.

trash ¹ British  

/ træʃ /

noun

1. foolish ideas or talk; nonsense

2. useless or unwanted matter or objects

3. a literary or artistic production of poor quality

4. a poor or worthless person or a group of such people

5. bits that are broken or lopped off, esp the trimmings from trees or plants

6. the dry remains of sugar cane after the juice has been extracted

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verb

1. to remove the outer leaves and branches from (growing plants, esp sugar cane)

2. slang to attack or destroy (someone or something) wilfully or maliciously

trash ² British  

/ træʃ /

verb

1. (tr) to restrain with or as if with a lead

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noun

1. a lead for a dog

Other Word Forms

• trashery noun

Etymology

Origin of trash

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English trasches (plural), apparently cognate with Norwegian trask “rubbish”; akin to Old English trus “brushwood,” Old Norse tros “rubbish”

Example Sentences

“Thank God for the rain, which has helped wash away the garbage and trash off the sidewalks,” Travis says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since then, she has faced criticism not just over the city’s response to the Palisades fire but also its handling of homelessness, housing production, street repairs and trash removal.

From Los Angeles Times

And so long as you can distinguish in your own head, then everybody has their sort of trash TV that they watch.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the early months of his campaign, Beutner also criticized the mayor for hiking the fees that the city charges for trash pickup, sewer maintenance and other basic services.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Grayson got a trash bag and Bat scooped the old straw into it.

From Literature

Related Words

• debris
• droppings
• junk
• litter
• residue
• rubbish
• rubble
• sediment
• waste