junk

¹

[juhngk]

noun

1. any old or discarded material, as metal, paper, or rags.

   Synonyms: refuse, debris, litter, rubbish

2. anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible; trash.

   Synonyms: refuse, debris, litter, rubbish

3. old cable or cordage used when untwisted for making gaskets, swabs, oakum, etc.

4. Nautical Slang.,  salt junk.

5. Baseball Slang.,  relatively slow, unorthodox pitches that are deceptive to the batter in movement or pace, as knuckleballs or forkballs.

verb (used with object)

1. to cast aside as junk; discard as no longer of use; scrap.

adjective

1. cheap, worthless, unwanted, or trashy.

junk

²

[juhngk]

noun

1. a seagoing ship with a traditional Chinese design and used primarily in Chinese waters, having square sails spread by battens, a high stern, and usually a flat bottom.

junk

³

[juhngk]

noun

Slang.

1. narcotics, especially heroin.

2. the external genitals.

   I kicked him in the junk.

junk

¹

/ dʒʌŋk /

noun

1. discarded or secondhand objects, etc, collectively

2. informal

   1. rubbish generally

   2. nonsense

      the play was absolute junk

3. slang,  any narcotic drug, esp heroin

verb

1. informal,  (tr) to discard as junk; scrap

junk

²

/ dʒʌŋk /

noun

1. a sailing vessel used in Chinese waters and characterized by a very high poop, flat bottom, and square sails supported by battens

Word History and Origins

Origin of junk¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English jonk, junk “(in sailing) old rope or cable”; further origin uncertain

Origin of junk²

First recorded in 1545–55; from Portuguese junco, from Malay jong “large boat, ship,” possibly from dialectal Chinese (Xiamen) chûn; compare Guangdong (Cantonese) dialect syùhn, (Mandarin) Chinese chuán

Origin of junk³

First recorded in 1920–25; perhaps special use of junk ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of junk¹

C15 jonke old useless rope

Origin of junk²

C17: from Portuguese junco, from Javanese jon; related to Dutch jonk

Example Sentences

Credit rating firms were debating where to place the transaction within the BB to CCC range usually deemed junk bonds, according to a Bloomberg report from last month about the potential offering.

Read more on Barron's

The meme is a prime example of brain rot, the internet junk food consumed by people of all ages to suck away time, productivity and the living of life.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

If social media is the junk food you’re trying to cut out, budgeting and saving strategies are the fruits and vegetables you’re trying to eat more.

Read more on MarketWatch

For Goldman’s Spencer Rogers, high-yield corporate bonds— junk bonds —are now “less junky” than they used to be.

Read more on Barron's

They plan to open up the market to sell junk insurance plans which are worth virtually nothing.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• clutter 
• debris 
• rubbish 
• rubble 
• trash