Definition

1. Noun:

   • Discarded material; worthless or unwanted objects: "Junk" refers to old, used, or unwanted items that are considered useless, broken, or of little value.
   • A type of Chinese sailing vessel: Historically, "junk" also refers to a type of Chinese ship with a high stern and distinctive sails.

2. Verb:

   • To discard or get rid of as worthless: To "junk" something means to throw it away or dispose of it because it is considered useless or old.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Discarded material):
  • The attic was full of old junk.
  • He collects scrap metal and other junk to sell.
• Noun (Chinese vessel):
  • The traditional junk sailed gracefully into the harbor.
• Verb:
  • It's time to junk that broken television.
  • They decided to junk the old policy and start fresh.

Advanced Usage

• "Junk food": This is a common compound noun referring to food that is high in calories but low in nutritional value.
  • Eating too much junk food is unhealthy.
• "Junk mail": This compound noun refers to unsolicited advertising mail.
  • I receive a lot of junk mail every day.

Variants and Related Words

• Junkyard (n): A place where junk is collected, stored, or sold.
  • The old car was taken to the junkyard.
• Junkie (n): (Slang) A person with a compulsive habit, especially a drug addict.
  • He became a junkie after years of substance abuse.

Synonyms

• Noun (for discarded items): Trash, garbage, rubbish, scrap, clutter.
• Verb: Discard, scrap, dump, dispose of, throw away.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Junk" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The verb form is typically used transitively on its own.)

Related Idioms

• "Junk in the trunk": (Slang, informal) A humorous idiom referring to a person, typically a woman, having large buttocks.
  • She's got some junk in the trunk.
• "One man's trash is another man's treasure": This common saying relates to the concept of "junk," meaning that what one person considers worthless, another might find valuable.

Noun

1. any of various Chinese boats with a high poop and lugsails
2. the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

Verb

1. dispose of (something useless or old)
   • trash these old chairs
   • junk an old car
   • scrap your old computer