junk

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Old or useless things that you no longer want.

   This shed is full of junk; will you help me sort it out?

2. 2
   noun

   Things of poor quality or low value.

   He eats nothing but junk food.

3. 3
   noun

   Nonsense; meaningless talk or writing (informal).

   The student wrote junk for answers just to finish quickly.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

In the Middle Ages junk meant old or inferior rope. By the mid-19th century it had developed the sense “old and discarded articles, rubbish.” From that came the 1920s slang sense “heroin or other narcotic drugs” and the word junkie. The source refers the boat use elsewhere and does not explain its origin here.

From Portuguese junco with reinforcement from Dutch jonk, from Arabic جُنْك (junk), from Malay jong, جوڠ, from Javanese ꦗꦺꦴꦁ (jong), from Old Javanese joṅ (“seagoing ship”), probably from Proto-Mon-Khmer *d₂luuŋ ~ *d₂luŋ ~ *d₂luəŋ ~ *d₂ləŋ (“boat”). Doublet of djong.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary