- discarded or secondhand objects, etc, collectively
- informal
- rubbish generally
- nonsense: the play was absolute junk
- slang any narcotic drug, esp heroin
- (transitive) informal to discard as junk; scrap
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
junk1 /dʒʌŋk/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
v. [~ + object]
junk2 /dʒʌŋk/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- old, mostly useless material or objects, such as metal, paper, or rags:junk accumulating in the attic.
- something thought of as worthless, meaningless, or useless;
trash:junk found in a garage sale.
v. [~ + object]
- to discard as no longer of use;
scrap:They had to junk the car after thirteen years.
junk2 /dʒʌŋk/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
- Nautical, Naval Termsa seagoing ship used primarily in Chinese waters, having square sails, a high stern, and usually a flat bottom.
junk1
( jungk),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
adj.
junk2 ( jungk),USA pronunciation n.
junk3 ( jungk),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
- any old or discarded material, as metal, paper, or rags.
- anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible;
trash. - old cable or cordage used when untwisted for making gaskets, swabs, oakum, etc.
- Nautical, Naval TermsSee salt junk.
- Sport[Baseball Slang.]relatively slow, unorthodox pitches that are deceptive to the batter in movement or pace, as knuckleballs or forkballs.
v.t.
- to cast aside as junk;
discard as no longer of use;
scrap.
adj.
- cheap, worthless, unwanted, or trashy.
- earlier jonke, of uncertain origin, originally 1480–90
- 1. 2. rubbish, litter, debris, refuse.
junk2 ( jungk),USA pronunciation n.
- Nautical, Naval Termsa seagoing ship with a traditional Chinese design and used primarily in Chinese waters, having square sails spread by battens, a high stern, and usually a flat bottom.
- dialect, dialectal Chinese (Xiamen) chûn; compare Guangdong dialect, dialectal syùhn, Chinese chuán
- Malay jong, said to be
- Portuguese junco a kind of sailing vessel
- 1545–55
junk3 ( jungk),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
- Slang Termsnarcotics, esp. heroin.
- perh. special use of junk1 1920–25
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
junk /dʒʌŋk/ n
junk /dʒʌŋk/ n
- a sailing vessel used in Chinese waters and characterized by a very high poop, flat bottom, and square sails supported by battens