rubbish

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Things you throw away because they are no longer wanted; waste.

   Please put the rubbish in the bin.

2. 2
   noun

   Nonsense; something silly or untrue.

   Don't talk rubbish, of course you can do it.

3. 3
   adj

   Very bad; of poor quality.

   The film was absolutely rubbish.

4. 4
   intj

   Used to say that something is untrue or nonsense.

   Rubbish! I never said any such thing.

Inherited from Middle English robous (“rubbish, building rubble”), further origin uncertain; possibly from Anglo-Norman rubous, rubouse, rubbouse (“refuse, waste material; building rubble”), and compare Anglo-Latin rebbussa, robousa, robusium, robusum, rubisum, rubusa, rubusium (although the Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Latin words may be derived from the English word instead of the other way around, as there are no known Old French cognates of the word). The English word may be related to rubble, though the connection is unclear. Possibly derived ultimately from Old Norse rubba (“to huddle, crowd t…

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