scrap-heap
Definition
- Noun:
- A pile of discarded materials: "scrap-heap" refers to a collection of waste or unwanted items, especially metal, paper, or other materials set aside for disposal or recycling.
- A place for obsolete objects: It can also denote a location where broken or outdated machinery, vehicles, or other objects are dumped.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The old car was taken to the scrap-heap after it stopped running. (A pile of discarded metal and parts.)
- He found a valuable antique clock buried in the scrap-heap at the junkyard. (A collection of unwanted items.)
Advanced Usage
"to be on the scrap-heap": to be discarded or considered useless.
- After the company closed, many skilled workers were thrown on the scrap-heap. (They were abandoned or deemed no longer needed.)
"scrap-heap policy": a strategy that prioritizes replacing old items with new ones, often at the expense of durability or reuse.
- The government's scrap-heap policy encourages buying new electronics rather than repairing old ones. (A policy favoring disposal over maintenance.)
Variants and Related Words
Scrap (noun): small pieces of discarded material; also, a fight or argument.
- The mechanic collected scrap metal from the garage. (Discarded metal pieces.)
Heap (noun): a pile or mound of things.
- There was a heap of rubbish in the corner. (A disorderly pile.)
Synonyms
- Dump: a place where waste is deposited.
- Junkyard: a site where scrap metal and other waste are stored or processed.
- Rubbish pile: a collection of discarded items.
Related Idioms
To be thrown on the scrap-heap: to be rejected or abandoned as worthless.
- After years of loyal service, the employee was thrown on the scrap-heap. (Dismissed without consideration.)
Scrap-heap of history: a metaphor for ideas, people, or things that are considered obsolete or forgotten.
- Outdated technologies often end up on the scrap-heap of history. (They become irrelevant over time.)