garbage English · revision 6974

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=1422|origins=xno garbage}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɡɑː.bɪd͡ʒ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɡɑɹ.bɪd͡ʒ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is of uncertain origin,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) probably Anglo-Norman, like many words in early cookery books.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)^(SOED 2002) The MED suggests a connection with garbelage, the removal of refuse from spices (see [[garble]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and Etymonline considers Old French garbe, a sheaf of wheat, from Germanic, though the sense connection is difficult.^(Etymonline) Word Origins notes parallels in medieval French and Latin that may themselves be borrowed from English.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The entrails or waste parts of an animal used for food: 1422 in Barnhart, about 1430 in the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Refuse in general, filth, is from 1583,^(OED 1989) the 1580s in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) and worthless or foul writing from 1592.^(OED 1989) Craigie notes that in American usage garbage is mainly kitchen and vegetable waste.^(Etymonline) ''Garbage collector'' is from 1872 and ''garbage can'' from 1901.^(Etymonline) In computing, useless or incorrect data, as in ''garbage in, garbage out'', is from 1964.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1422 – offal.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1583 – refuse, filth.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1592 – worthless writing.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1872 – garbage collector.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1964 – in computing.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(chiefly North American)'' Food waste and other household rubbish; [[trash]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Worthless or nonsensical ideas or talk; [[nonsense]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(computing)'' Useless or incorrect data.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[garbageman]]

+ * [[garbo]]

+ * [[garbology]]

+ * [[garbage can]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[garble]]

+ * [[trash]]

+ * [[rubbish]]

+ * [[junk]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}