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
At the metal scrap plant, workers like Mr. Bohne take shifts to maintain their 24-hour strike outside the main gates, warming themselves inside construction containers or around makeshift firepits fueled with scrap wood. Erika Solomon, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Over 40 states have strengthened restrictions on scrap recyclers and penalties, such as prison time and fines, since 2021, according to BeenVerified. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Lawmakers want to reach into Arizona school classrooms with bills that would dictate curriculum, make certain immunizations optional and scrap letter grades used to rank schools' performance. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024 Soon after, the Los Angeles City Attorney also sued the facility alleging, in part, that its scrap metal piles and a makeshift wall of cargo containers violated city rules. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 On a recent day, a woman wandered through Balata’s narrow alleyways, collecting aluminum cans to resell as scrap metal to support her four children. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 They were crafted from old furniture, scrap wood, and other used flammable materials that would otherwise be discarded. Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2024 Archaeologists also identified preserved wooden coffins, wooden crosses and scraps of silk scapulars, which are necklace-like devotional objects. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Using scrap metal and mostly hand tools, each worker is responsible for a different part of the production including cutting metal parts, shaping them, sanding them and welding them. Orlando Matos, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
The series, despite being renewed for a second season, was scrapped after a single season. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Mar. 2024 Apple is scrapping plans to build a MicroLED display for the Apple Watch, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Emma Roth, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024 Live-action Mario didn’t get totally scrapped, though. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024 The continuation of the comedy series, starring Neil Patrick Harris, has been scrapped a year after the network picked up the show following its initial cancellation at Netflix, per Deadline. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 The budget that passed with some Republican support in both the House and Senate scrapped the tax cuts and the sales tax increase, but included a digital sales tax and went a step further by extending it to software downloads purchased by businesses. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Facing a huge fine, a similar suit in Illinois, and a U.S. Justice Department push to reopen an antitrust case about commissions, the NAR on Friday also came to terms, proposing to scrap the current system and pay $418 million in fines. Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2024 Fong sued, arguing that the law Weber cited has not been applicable since 2010, when California voters scrapped the state’s party nomination system and created a new system in which the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Yet hotels continue to act like scrapping single-use soaps and sourcing their restaurant food locally will reverse climate change. Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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