Link Centre Dictionary

junk

UK/d͡ʒʌŋk/ US/d͡ʒɐŋk/ common informal slang
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

Synonyms
2.

any of various Chinese boats with a high poop and lugsails

verb

1.

dispose of (something useless or old)

  • “trash these old chairs”
  • “junk an old car”
  • “scrap your old computer”
Synonyms

Origin

From earlier meaning "old refuse from boats and ships", from Middle English junk, jounke, jonk, joynk (“an old cable or rope”, nautical term), sometimes cut into bits and used as caulking; of uncertain origin; perhaps related to join, joint, juncture. Often compared to Middle English junk, jonk, jonke, junck (“a rush; basket made of rushes”), from Old French jonc, from Latin iuncus (“rush, reed”); however, the Oxford English Dictionary finds "no evidence of connexion".

Phrases

  • hunk of junk
  • Jesus junk
  • junk beverage
  • junk bond
  • junk bottle
  • junk conference
  • junk DNA
  • junk drawer
  • old car

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.