Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

garbage

Pronunciation: /ˈgɑːbɪdʒ/
Translate garbage | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of garbage

noun

[mass noun] chiefly North American
  • rubbish or waste, especially domestic refuse: garbage littered the estate [as modifier]:a garbage dump
  • worthless or meaningless material or ideas; rubbish:a store full of overpriced garbage
  • Computing unwanted data in a computer’s memory.

Phrases

garbage in, garbage out

used to express the idea that in computing and other fields, incorrect or poor-quality input will produce faulty output.

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'offal'): from Anglo-Norman French, of unknown ultimate origin

garbage in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of garbage in the US English dictionary
  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

Shop for an Oxford dictionary

Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kəː /
noun
an aggressive or unkempt dog …