I. scrap 1 /skræp/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-4: Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: skrap 'scraps' ]
[ Sense 5: Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Perhaps from scrape ]
1 . PAPER/CLOTH [countable] a small piece of paper, cloth etc
scrap of
He wrote his address on a scrap of paper.
a rug made out of old scraps of material
2 . OLD OBJECTS [uncountable] materials or objects that are no longer used for the purpose they were made for, but can be used again in another way:
The equipment was sold for scrap.
Scrap metal (=metal from old cars, machines etc) fetched high prices after the war.
3 . FOOD scraps [plural] pieces of food that are left after you have finished eating:
My mother fed the dog on scraps to save money.
table/kitchen scraps American English
4 . INFORMATION [countable] a small amount of information, truth etc
scrap of
He obtained every scrap of information available.
There isn’t a single scrap of evidence.
5 . FIGHT [countable] informal a short fight or argument:
He’s always getting into scraps with other dogs.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ piece an amount of something that has been cut or separated from the main part:
Could I have another piece of cake?
|
a piece of broken glass
|
Emma cut the pie into eight pieces.
▪ bit a piece. Bit is more informal than piece and is often used about smaller pieces:
The notes were written on bits of paper.
|
He threw a bit of wood onto the fire.
▪ lump a small piece of something solid or firm that does not have a regular shape:
two lumps of sugar
|
a lump of coal
|
a lump of clay
▪ scrap a small piece of paper, cloth etc that is no longer needed:
I wrote the phone number on a scrap of paper.
|
The dog was eating scraps of food off the floor.
▪ strip a long narrow piece of cloth, paper etc:
a strip of cloth
|
The leather had been cut into strips.
▪ sheet a thin flat piece of something such as paper, glass, or metal:
a blank sheet of paper
|
a sheet of aluminium
▪ slice a thin flat piece of bread, cake, meat etc cut from a larger piece:
a slice of pizza
|
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices.
▪ chunk a piece of something solid that does not have a regular shape – used especially about food, rock, or metal:
The fruit was cut into large chunks.
|
a chunk of bread
▪ hunk a large piece with rough edges, which has been cut or has broken off a bigger piece of food, rock etc:
a big hunk of cheese
|
hunks of concrete
▪ block a piece of something solid, which has straight sides:
concrete blocks
|
a block of cheese
|
a block of ice
▪ slab a thick flat piece of stone, or of cake, meat etc:
The floor had been made from stone slabs.
|
a slab of beef
▪ cube a piece that has six square sides – used especially about food:
a cube of sugar
|
ice cubes
▪ wedge a piece that has a thick end and a pointed end, and is shaped like a ↑ triangle – used especially about food and metal:
a wedge of cheese
▪ bar a block of soap, chocolate, candy, or metal, which has straight sides:
a chocolate bar
|
a bar of soap
|
gold bars worth more than £26 million
▪ rasher British English a slice of bacon:
I usually have two rashers of bacon for breakfast.
II. scrap 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle scrapped , present participle scrapping )
1 . [transitive] to decide not to use a plan or system because it is not practical:
We believe that car tax should be scrapped.
2 . [transitive] to get rid of an old machine, vehicle etc, and use its parts in some other way:
Two aircraft carriers are being scrapped this year.
3 . [intransitive] informal to have a short fight