scrap heap
Americannoun
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a pile of old, discarded material, as metal.
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a place for dumping old, useless things.
Etymology
Origin of scrap heap
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.
Among the items destined for the scrap heap is the gantry, which once sheltered Soyuz rockets from the tropical weather.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
"It's absolutely infuriating that a treatable condition like this is ignored and that women are put on the scrap heap," said Lipoedema UK's head of research Dr Lesley Steinitz.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025
It’s been months since Broomhilda went to the scrap heap and I’m still car shopping.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2024
Destined for the scrap heap, these historic artifacts just had to be saved.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2023
He is perhaps best known for this quote: “We will turn this prison from a scrap heap into a repair shop.”
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.