junk

¹junk

noun \ˈjəŋk\

Definition of JUNK

1

: pieces of old cable or cordage used especially to make gaskets, mats, swabs, or oakum

2

a (1) : old iron, glass, paper, or other waste that may be used again in some form (2) : secondhand, worn, or discarded articles (3) : clutter 1b

b : something of poor quality : trash

c : something of little meaning, worth, or significance

3

slang : narcotics; especially : heroin

4

: junk bond

5

a : baseball pitches that break or are off-speed (as curveballs or changeups)

b slang : male genitalia

— junky \ˈjəŋ-kē\ adjective

Origin of JUNK

Middle English jonke

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with JUNK

bunk, chunk, clunk, drunk, dunk, flunk, funk, gunk, hunk, monk, plunk, punk, skunk, spunk, sunk, thunk, trunk

²junk

transitive verb

Definition of JUNK

: to get rid of as worthless : scrap

Examples of JUNK

1. We decided to junk our old computer and buy a new one.
2. <we'll have to junk this old car>

First Known Use of JUNK

1916

Related to JUNK

Synonyms

cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, discard, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unload

Related Words

abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake; dismiss, kick out; abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe out

Near Antonyms

adopt, embrace, take on; employ, use, utilize; hold, hold back, keep, retain

See Synonym Discussion at discard

³junk

noun

Definition of JUNK

: any of various ships of Chinese waters with bluff lines, a high poop and overhanging stem, little or no keel, high pole masts, and a deep rudder

Illustration of JUNK

Origin of JUNK

Portuguese junco, from Javanese joṅ

First Known Use: 1609

junk

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Modern junk with traditional matting sails and a European-type jib—BBC Hulton Picture Library

Classic Chinese sailing vessel of ancient unknown origin, still in wide use. High-sterned, with a projecting bow, the junk carries up to five masts on which are set square sails consisting of panels of linen or matting flattened by bamboo strips. Each sail can be spread or closed at a pull, like a venetian blind. The massive rudder takes the place of a keel. Chinese junks were sailing to Indonesian and Indian waters by the early Middle Ages.