discard

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To throw away, to reject.

   A man discards the follies of boyhood.

2. 2
   verb

   To dismiss from employment, confidence, or favour; to discharge.

   […] They blame the Favourites in point of Policy, and think it nothing extraordinary, that the Queen ſhould be at an end of Her Patience, and reſolve to diſcard them.

3. 3
   noun

   One or more discarded playing cards in a card game.

   1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados "Stroll across and see how the game is going," suggested Carrados. "Have a look at Crediton's discard and then come back."

4. 4
   noun

   The act of discarding.

   1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados Spinola was hovering about the external fittings of the figure with unusual fussiness. When at length he released the left hand it seemed for an almost perceptible moment that the action hung. Then the arm descended and carried out the discard.

5. 5
   noun

   A temporary variable used to receive a value of no importance and unable to be read later.

   Discards can be used with out parameters, with tuples, with pattern matching (Chapters 6 and 8), or even as stand-alone variables.

6. 6
   noun

   getting rid something that is regarded as useless or undesirable

7. 7
   noun

   (cards) the act of throwing out a useless card or of failing to follow suit

8. 8
   noun

   anything that is cast aside or discarded

Etymology

From dis- + card. Compare Spanish descartar.