junk
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.old things that are broken or no longer useful.
n.discarded or unwanted items of little to no value. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“We spent the whole weekend clearing all the old junk out of the garage.”
In context“The attic was filled with decades of accumulated junk, ranging from rusted garden tools to broken electronic components that were beyond repair.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a traditional Chinese sailing ship with a flat bottom.
n.a classic Chinese sailing vessel featuring a flat bottom and prominent battened sails.
Simple“The tourists took a ride on a traditional red-sailed junk in the harbour.”
In context“Historically, the junk was a highly efficient design for maritime trade across the South China Sea, capable of carrying significant cargo over long distances.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a slang word for illegal drugs, especially heroin.
n.a slang term for narcotic drugs, specifically heroin.
Simple“The documentary showed the tragic effect that junk had on the local community.”
In context“Undercover officers were focused on identifying the primary suppliers of junk in the city's downtown district.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.ideas or talk that are not true or make no sense.
n.information, ideas, or speech considered to be worthless or nonsensical.
Simple“Don't believe what he says; it's all just a load of junk.”
In context“The article was dismissed by experts as scientific junk, lacking any rigorous data or peer-reviewed evidence to support its claims.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to get rid of something because it is old or broken.
v.to discard or scrap something as being no longer useful or functional.
Simple“The car was so badly damaged in the accident that they had to junk it.”
In context“After the inspection revealed extensive structural rot, the owner decided it was more cost-effective to junk the old boat than to attempt repairs.”
Usage junk folder
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".
From Portuguese junco with reinforcement from Dutch jonk, from Arabic جُنْك (junk), from Malay jong, جوڠ, from Javanese ꦗꦺꦴꦁ (jong), from Old Javanese joṅ (“seagoing ship”), probably from Proto-Mon-Khmer d₂luuŋ ~ d₂luŋ ~ d₂luəŋ ~ d₂ləŋ (“boat”). Doublet of djong.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.