I. ˈtrash, -aa(ə)-, -ai- noun
( -es )
Etymology: of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian trask lumber, trash, trase rag; akin to Old English teran to tear — more at tear
1. : something worth relatively little or nothing: as
a. : junk , rubbish
trampling down a great pile of old newspapers and other trash — Thomas Whiteside
was sweeping the trash in their backyard — Erskine Caldwell
b. : trash fish
none … attains any great size, and they are considered as trash by fishermen — Copeia
c.
(1) : empty talk or discourse : nonsense
what trash are you talkin' anyway — Owen Wister
this book is utter trash … pure quackery and without scientific standing — Conway Zirkle
(2) : inferior or worthless writing or artistic matter
a corner of fiction in which sadistic and poorly written trash is becoming the norm — Geoffrey Moore
one of the most lugubrious bits of sentimental trash … ever released — C.F.Wittke
music that is only trash
d. : money
drudge, sweat … for every gain, for vile contaminating trash — Edward Young
2. : something in a crumbled or broken condition or mass: as
a. : woody or vegetable matter fallen or strewn on the ground
a big drift of logs and trash — F.B.Gipson
b. : cane trash
3. : a worthless person : no-good , poor white
put a bullet past his ear, just to let the trash know the sound of it — Winston Churchill
collectively : such persons as a group or class : riffraff
the loudmouth trash … from the slums of cities — T.H.Fielding
I am a poor man … but I ain't trash — R.P.Warren
4. : the lower leaves of the burley tobacco plant
Synonyms: see refuse
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
: to free from trash or refuse : lop , crop ; specifically : to strip outer leaves from (immature sugarcane)
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish traska to jog, trudge, tramp
intransitive verb
dialect Britain : to plod about tiringly especially in the wet : trudge , tramp
transitive verb
dialect Britain : to wear out (as a person) with exertion : jade , fatigue
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: probably from obsolete French trachier, tracier to trace, track, from Middle French — more at trace
1. obsolete : to hold back (as a hunting dog) by a trash
2. archaic : restrain , hinder
V. noun
( -es )
dialect England : a long light cord used to slow or check a hunting dog in the field : leash
VI. noun
: trash talk herein
talk trash
VII. transitive verb
( -s )
1. : vandalize : wreck
trash a college building
2. : smash : destroy
trash store windows
3. : spoil : ruin
trashing the environment
4. : to subject to criticism or invective ; especially : to disparage completely
5. : throw away 1
standards of reality and truth were trashed — Edwin Diamond
intransitive verb
: to trash something especially as a form of protest
• trasher ˈtrashə(r), -raas-, -rais- noun