junk
UK: dʒʌŋk | US: dʒʌŋk
n. 1. Discarded or worthless material; rubbish.
n. 2. A type of Chinese sailing vessel with fully battened sails.
vt. 3. To discard or abandon as useless.
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The word "junk" has a dual origin. Its primary modern meaning ("rubbish") traces back to Middle English jonk, meaning "old cable or rope," likely from Old French junc ("rush, reed"), reflecting discarded nautical materials. The second meaning ("Chinese sailing vessel") derives from Portuguese junco, borrowed from Malay jong or Javanese djong, showcasing maritime trade influences. Over time, the sense of "worthless discarded items" expanded from nautical debris to general waste.
The attic was filled with decades of accumulated junk.
We sailed past a traditional junk in Hong Kong harbor.
He decided to junk his old car after it broke down again.
Don’t let junk mail clutter your inbox.
The beach cleanup removed tons of plastic junk.