scrap

1 of 4

noun (1)

often attributive
1
scraps plural : fragments of discarded or leftover food
2
a
: a small detached piece
a scrap of paper
b
: a fragment of something written, printed, or spoken
scraps of conversation
c
: the least bit
not a scrap of evidence
3
scraps plural : cracklings
4
a
: fragments of stock removed in manufacturing
b
: manufactured articles or parts rejected or discarded and useful only as material for reprocessing
especially : waste and discarded metal

scrap

2 of 4

verb (1)

scrapped; scrapping

transitive verb

1
: to convert into scrap
2
: to abandon or get rid of as no longer of enough worth or effectiveness to retain
scrap outworn methods

scrap

3 of 4

noun (2)

: fight

scrap

4 of 4

verb (2)

scrapped; scrapping
Choose the Right Synonym for scrap

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of.

discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

Examples of scrap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Cheerios are a modern twist, but since the Middle Ages Jews have been flinging breadcrumbs, scraps of paper or prayers into water on Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish new year. Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2023 In 2021, Maryland legislators passed a law requiring certain large generators of food waste, such as higher education institutions, to separate their scraps for composting. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2023 After the war, many EFC vessels remained unfinished and were either sold for scrap material or turned into barges. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 The program requires residents to separate food scraps and yard waste from the rest of their trash. James Barron, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2023 What: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) scrap with the Chicago Bears (0-1) in an NFL Week 2 matchup. Corey Sheldon | , oregonlive, 17 Sep. 2023 Simmer the carcass with vegetable scraps in a pot on the stovetop, or use the Instant Pot for a faster, more hands-off process. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023 Meanwhile, Facebook and Google together gobble up 80 percent of digital advertising dollars in Canada, leaving the country’s ever-dwindling news business to fight over the scraps. Tracey Lindeman, WIRED, 28 Aug. 2023 The manager of the company later located the metal at a nearby scrap yard. Robert Higgs, cleveland, 25 Aug. 2023
Verb
News The steepening downturn in China’s real-estate markets has led China Evergrande to scrap a $35 billion debt-restructuring plan designed to ensure the property developer’s survival, a sign that China’s ongoing housing crisis could still get worse. Alexander Saeedy, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2023 Under former President Jair Bolsonaro, climate change agendas were not only left aside — but almost scrapped. Laura Martins, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023 In the end, the clip with the NSYNC boys was scrapped and both Timberlake and Bass joked about feeling relieved that their bandmates had been cut out of the film. Thania Garcia, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023 Union demands would force Ford to scrap its investments in electric vehicles, Jim Farley, the company's CEO, said in an interview Friday. Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2023 Noname began what was supposed to be her third full-length, a planned polemic about communism and socialism called Factory Baby, in the waning days of pandemic isolation, but ended up scrapping the concept entirely. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2023 Organizers also scrapped the remainder of the day's events after that crash. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023 The Fed scrapped that rule during the pandemic and now lets banks decide whether to limit withdrawals or not. Tanza Loudenback, wsj.com, 18 Sep. 2023 Microsoft also scrapped plans to launch a dedicated subscription version of Xbox Cloud Gaming. Tom Warren, The Verge, 18 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old Norse skrap scraps; akin to Old Norse skrapa to scrape

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

circa 1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1846, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scrap

Cite this Entry

“Scrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrap. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

scrap

1 of 4 noun
1
plural : pieces of discarded or leftover food
2
: a small bit : fragment
3
: things discarded as worthless

scrap

2 of 4 verb
scrapped; scrapping
1
: to break up into scrap
2
: to discard as worthless

scrap

3 of 4 noun

scrap

4 of 4 verb
scrapped; scrapping
scrapper noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English scrap "discarded bits of food"; of Norse origin

Noun

origin unknown

More from Merriam-Webster on scrap

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