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wastepaper

American  
[weyst-pey-per] / ˈweɪstˌpeɪ pər /

noun

  1. paper thrown away as useless.


wastepaper British  
/ ˈweɪstˌpeɪpə /

noun

  1. paper discarded after use

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wastepaper

First recorded in 1575–85; waste + paper

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.

The accusation, based on a comparison of handwriting on a document found in the German's wastepaper basket in Paris, kicked off what would become known as the "Dreyfus affair".

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

A sustainable alternative could be lightweight, cellulose aerogels, but current methods to produce them from wastepaper require several chemical pretreatment steps.

From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2023

“Unfortunately, our long-standing demands for staff hirings, better training and above all use of modern safety technology always end up in the wastepaper basket,” it said in a statement.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2023

Tossing a bottle of Vichy water into a wastepaper basket, he walks off into the night with Rick to join the anti-Vichy French forces of Gen. Charles de Gaulle.

From Washington Post • Nov. 17, 2021

She ripped it up into little pieces and dropped them into the wastepaper basket.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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