/gahr"bij/ , n.
1. discarded animal and vegetable matter, as from a kitchen; refuse.
2. any matter that is no longer wanted or needed; trash.
3. anything that is contemptibly worthless, inferior, or vile: There's nothing but garbage on TV tonight.
4. worthless talk; lies; foolishness.
5. Slang. any unnecessary item added to something else, as for appearance only; garnish: I'll have an Old Fashioned, but without the garbage.
6. useless artificial satellites or parts of rockets floating in space, as satellites that are no longer transmitting information or rocket boosters jettisoned in flight.
7. Computers. meaningless or unwanted data: That program was not properly debugged and produced nothing but garbage.
[ 1400-50; late ME: discarded parts of butchered fowls; compared with garbelage the removal of waste from spices ( garbage tax on sheaves of grain, though shift of sense, and form in first case, is unclear ]
Syn. 2. litter, refuse, junk, rubbish.