garbage

UK: /ˈgɑː^rbɪdʒ/ US: /ˈgɑrbɪdʒ/ ,(gär′bij)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

gar•bage /ˈgɑrbɪdʒ/   n. [uncountable]

1. matter that has been discarded, esp. food waste;
   refuse.
2. anything contemptibly worthless, inferior, or vile.
3. Computing meaningless or unwanted computer data.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

gar•bage  (gär′bij), n. 

1. discarded animal and vegetable matter, as from a kitchen;
   refuse.
2. any matter that is no longer wanted or needed;
   trash.
3. anything that is contemptibly worthless, inferior, or vile:
   There's nothing but garbage on TV tonight.
4. worthless talk;
   lies;
   foolishness.
5. Slang Terms any unnecessary item added to something else, as for appearance only;
   garnish:
   I'll have an Old Fashioned, but without the garbage.
6. Aerospace useless artificial satellites or parts of rockets floating in space, as satellites that are no longer transmitting information or rocket boosters jettisoned in flight.
7. Computing meaningless or unwanted data:
   That program was not properly debugged and produced nothing but garbage.

• Anglo-French, Old French; see garble, -age) or Old French garbage tax on sheaves of grain, though shift of sense, and form in first case, is unclear
• 1400–50; late Middle English: discarded parts of butchered fowls; compared with garbelage the removal of waste from spices (

Synonyms

• 2. litter, refuse, junk, rubbish.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

garbage / ˈɡɑːbɪdʒ/ noun

1. worthless, useless, or unwanted matter
2. Also called: rubbish discarded or waste matter; refuse
3. invalid data
4. nonsense

adjective

1. worthless or useless

Etymology: 15th Century: probably from Anglo-French garbelage removal of discarded matter, of uncertain origin; compare Old Italian garbuglio confusion