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Webster 1913 Edition

Garbage

Gar′bage

(?; 48)
,
Noun.
[OE. also
garbash
, perh. orig., that which is purged or cleansed away; cf. OF.
garber
to make fine, neat, OHG.
garawan
to make ready, prepare, akin to E.
garb
dress; or perh. for
garbleage
, fr.
garble
; or cf. OF.
garbage
tax on sheaves, E.
garb
sheaf.]
Offal, as the bowels of an animal or fish; refuse animal or vegetable matter from a kitchen; hence, anything worthless, disgusting, or loathsome.
Grainger.

Gar′bage

,
Verb.
T.
To strip of the bowels; to clean.
“Pilchards . . . are garbaged.”
Holland.

Webster 1828 Edition

Garbage

G`ARBAGE

,
Noun.
[I know not the component parts of this word.] The bowels of an animal; refuse parts of flesh; offal.

Definition 2024

garbage

garbage

English

Alternative forms

Noun

garbage ‎(uncountable) (chiefly US, Canada)

  1. (obsolete) The bowels of an animal; refuse parts of flesh; offal.
  2. Food waste material of any kind.
    Garbage is collected on Tuesdays; rubbish on Fridays
  3. Useless or disposable material; waste material of any kind.
    The garbage truck collects all residential municipal waste.
  4. A place or receptacle for waste material.
    He threw the newspaper into the garbage.
  5. Nonsense; gibberish.
  6. (often attributively) Something or someone worthless.
    • 2009, David R. Portney, 129 More Seminar Speaking Success Tips, ISBN 9780967851488, p. 8:
      Forget about that garbage advice to “act natural”.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

garbage ‎(third-person singular simple present garbages, present participle garbaging, simple past and past participle garbaged) (chiefly US, Canada)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To eviscerate.
    • 1674, John Josselyn, Two Voyages to New England, Made During the Years 1638-63 (quoted in William Butts Mershon, The Passenger Pigeon, 1907, The Outing Publishing Company):
      I have bought at Boston a dozen Pidgeons ready pulled and garbidged for three pence.

Synonyms

See also

Etymology

From Middle English "the offal of a fowl, giblets, kitchen waste", originally "refuse, what is purged away" from Old French garber ‎(“to refine, make neat or clean”), of Germanic origin, akin to Old High German garawan ‎(“to prepare, make ready”), Old English ġearwian ‎(“to make ready, adorn”). More at garb, yare, gear

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡɑɹbɪd͡ʒ/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɡɑːbɪd͡ʒ/
  • (US, humorous, imitating the French pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɡɑ(ɹ)ˈbɑːʒ/
  • Hyphenation: gar‧bage

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