Dictionary

junk en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒʌŋk/ (UK, US)
• /d͡ʒɐŋk/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From earlier meaning "old refuse from boats and ships", from Middle English junk, jounke, jonk, joynk (“an old cable or rope”, nautical term), sometimes cut into bits and used as caulking; of uncertain origin; perhaps related to join, joint, juncture. Often compared to Middle English junk, jonk, jonke, junck (“a rush; basket made of rushes”), from Old French jonc, from Latin iuncus (“rush, reed”); however, the Oxford English Dictionary finds "no evidence of connexion".

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) Miscellaneous items of little value, especially discarded or unwanted items.
   • What a piece of junk! 1977, George Lucas, Star Wars: A New Hope, spoken by Luke Skywalker:
   • This shed is full of junk – will you help me sort it out?
   • In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
   • She needs to find a better place to keep her junk [= belongings].
2. (attributive, uncountable, usually) Material or resources of poor quality or low value, especially resources that lack commercial value.
   • junk food
   • junk fish; junk trees
3. (uncountable, usually) Nonsense; gibberish.
   • The student put down junk for answers just to finish his homework more quickly.
4. (slang, uncountable, usually) Any narcotic drug, especially heroin.
   • Trace a line of goose pimples up the thin young arm. Slide the needle in and push the bulb watching the junk hit him all over. Move right in with the shit and suck junk through all the hungry young cells. 1966 [1961], William S. Burroughs, The Soft Machine (The Nova Trilogy), New York: Grove Press, page 7:
   • The poor fellow took so much junk into his system he could only weather the greater proportion of his day in that chair with the lamp burning at noon, but in the morning he was magnificent. 1957 September 5, Jack Kerouac, On the Road, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →OCLC:
   • Ah love nothing (except junk), ah hate nothing (except forces that prevent me getting any) and ah fear nothing (except not scoring). 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 21:
5. (slang, uncountable, usually) The genitalia, especially of a male.
   • I'm talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk / Boys tryin' to touch my junk, junk / Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk 2009, “Tik Tok”, performed by Kesha:
   • Got a spot on the voice, I'm a neo punk / Old ladies cum when I flash my junk 2023, “Neo Punk”, in Every Loser, performed by Iggy Pop:
   • But what to do about a kid who flashes his privates at your child? And worse, how do you make sure your kid does not reciprocate? That's exactly the dilemma one mom faced when she learned that her 5-year-old neighbor had flashed his "junk" at her two sons and then made them swear not to tell. 2019 April 18, Genny Glassman, “Parent Torn After Discovering 5-Year-Old Neighbor 'Flashed' Kids & Told Them to Keep It a Secret”, in CafeMom:
6. (uncountable, usually) Salt beef.
   • My physician has ordered me three pounds of minced salt-junk at every meal . c. 1851-1852, James Russell Lowell, Leaves from My Journal in Italy and Elsewhere
7. (uncountable, usually) Pieces of old cable or cordage, used for making gaskets, mats, swabs, etc., and when picked to pieces, forming oakum for filling the seams of ships.
8. (countable, dated, usually) A fragment of any solid substance; a thick piece; a chunk.
   • Dear Uncle Sam pervides fer his, An' gives a good-sized junk to all 1848, [James Russell Lowell], “(please specify the page)”, in Homer Wilbur [pseudonym], editor, Melibœus-Hipponax. The Biglow Papers, […], Cambridge, Mass.: George Nichols, →OCLC:
   • Then he lay quiet for a little, and then, pulling out a stick of tobacco, begged me to cut him a quid. “Cut me a junk o’ that,” says he, “for I haven’t no knife and hardly strength enough, so be as I had. […]” 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
9. (uncountable, usually) An entity with no whole; every part is itself a proper part of something larger.

Forms

Deriveds

junk bond · junkshop · junk food news · junk wad · junk DNA · junk journal · salt junk · dejunk · junk-hook · junk mailer · junk science · junk in one's trunk · junklike · junk orbit · junkbox · junk vat · junk-sick · piece of junk · junky · junkie · junk bottle · junker · junkless · junk drawer · junkaholic · junkheap · junk sick · junkman · junk mail · junk conference · nonjunk · junkscape · junk shot · chartjunk · Jesus junk · antijunk · junk ring · junk fee · junk food · Junkspace · junkpile · junkroom · junkmobile · junk sickness · junk gun · hunk of junk · junk drink · junk head · cyberjunk · junkyard · space junk · junkware · junk sport · junkspace · junk job · junkball · junkboard · junkhead · junk email · junk title · junk rig · junk in the trunk · junk news · junk time · junk shop · junk beverage

Synonyms

prick · dingle · spitstick · bird · phallus · truncheon · trouser monkey · tic tac · rod · meat stick · pisser · drek · plonker · banana · fish · meat rod · tagger · meatstick · Jonathan · piece of garbage · cultch · pile of crap · ding-dong · langer · fire hose · dreck · eggplant · disco stick · tarse · junk · whang · choda · cigar · weenie · hot dog · bobby · doodle · magnum · shaft · nob · boonga · putz · pork sword · penis · schmuck · bald-headed hermit · pickle · pego · pink oboe · sex tool · crap · dock · jigger · man-meat · shit · root · job · tongue · dog bone · litter · tool · swipe · wick · package · virile member · one-eyed trouser snake · colloquial · piece of crap · rutter · down · pelf · birdie · roughage · cucumber · purple-headed yogurt slinger · pipe · tube steak · love muscle · meat · chode · dingaling · pee-pee · hog · cock · ding-a-ling · knob · weapon · widgie · John Thomas · Percy · stuff · gherkin · fucker · peter · stem · pecker · thing · machine · dong · corey · diddly · dick · third leg · peener · piston · kielbasa · sucker · love stick · organ · rubbish · p-word · fuckpole · hoo-hoo · love truncheon · tail · male member · tallywhacker · wiener · piece of trash · winkle · hot rod · hooter · snausage · thingy · Master John Goodfellow · dingus · wingwang · old chap · pike · hagfish · waste · wang · todger · unit · joint · hammer · Excalibur · pink cigar · old fellow · cack · it · weeny · dipstick · gun · jock · snake · verge · yard · jade stalk · love wand · manhood · meat puppet · python · dinger · stretcher · choad · piece of pork · toy · pile of shit · pillicock · D · dork · debris · peen · eel · meat scepter · dirk · dingy · ramrod · lingam · service item · piece of shit · trouser snake · chopper · ying-yang · refuse · donger · jamoke · short arm · pistol · trash · pintle · shlong · dinkle · pee-wee · baloney pony · Yiddish) · nature's scythe · whale · winky · lad · crank · widdler · love sausage · hairy canary · dink · garbage · jimmy · wee-wee · johnson · dicklet · sausage · clutter · membrum virile · shmekl (q · schlong · hose · custard launcher · pizzle · Donkey Kong · member · pingas · pud · salami · skin flute · joystick · piece · tadger · willy · gash · diddle · anaconda · rape tool · willie

Translations (72)

fi kama (miscellaneous items of little value) · el πρέζα (slang: narcotic drug) · fi kalu (slang: genitalia) · es chatarra (miscellaneous items of little value) · ka ხარახურა (miscellaneous items of little value) · de Stoff (slang: narcotic drug) · hu lom‚ kacat (miscellaneous items of little value) · nl rommel (miscellaneous items of little value) · wuu 𤎤𡮦 /𬝃𡮦 (miscellaneous items of little value) · bg хероин (slang: narcotic drug) · lv krāmi (miscellaneous items of little value) · ko 개털 (miscellaneous items of little value) · is drasl (miscellaneous items of little value) · nl spul (slang: narcotic drug) · et träni (miscellaneous items of little value) · cmn 破爛 /破烂 (miscellaneous items of little value) · da skrammel (miscellaneous items of little value) · it ciarpame (miscellaneous items of little value) · fi kama (slang: narcotic drug) · de Krempel (miscellaneous items of little value) · fr came (slang: narcotic drug) · de Eier (slang: genitalia) · de Nüsse (slang: genitalia) · lv grabasti (miscellaneous items of little value) · et nodi (miscellaneous items of little value) · ja ジャンク (slang: narcotic drug) · pt porcaria (miscellaneous items of little value) · ru хозя́йство (slang: genitalia) · vi phế liệu (miscellaneous items of little value) · it coglioni (slang: genitalia) · km ឡាប់សង (miscellaneous items of little value) · et kola (miscellaneous items of little value) · et kräpp (miscellaneous items of little value) · bo གད་ཉིག (miscellaneous items of little value) · de Krempel (slang: genitalia) · et kraam (miscellaneous items of little value) · fi roina (miscellaneous items of little value) · nv inchxǫ́ʼį́ (miscellaneous items of little value) · de Kleinkruscht (miscellaneous items of little value) · et vänt (slang: genitalia) · es chunches (miscellaneous items of little value) · de Klöten (slang: genitalia) · da bras (miscellaneous items of little value) · el παλιατσαρία (miscellaneous items of little value) · no skrammel (miscellaneous items of little value) · fi kalut (slang: genitalia) · gl quincalla (miscellaneous items of little value) · it cianfrusaglie (miscellaneous items of little value) · nl gerief (slang: narcotic drug) · de Kram (miscellaneous items of little value) · ota مارده (miscellaneous items of little value) · de Ramsch (miscellaneous items of little value) · nl rotzooi (miscellaneous items of little value) · pl klejnoty (slang: genitalia) · et kama (slang: narcotic drug) · bo མཁོ་མེད (miscellaneous items of little value) · es cachureo (miscellaneous items of little value) · ru дурь (slang: narcotic drug) · km របស់អេបចាយ (miscellaneous items of little value) · it paccottaglia (miscellaneous items of little value) · es basura (miscellaneous items of little value) · ru ру́хлядь (miscellaneous items of little value) · mi paraurehe (miscellaneous items of little value) · da ragelse (miscellaneous items of little value) · ru барахло́ (miscellaneous items of little value) · sv bråte (miscellaneous items of little value) · fa بنجل (miscellaneous items of little value) · el ναρκωτικό (slang: narcotic drug) · et riist (slang: genitalia) · ru хлам (miscellaneous items of little value) · et vant (slang: genitalia) · it robaccia (miscellaneous items of little value)

junk en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒʌŋk/ (UK, US)
• /d͡ʒɐŋk/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From earlier meaning "old refuse from boats and ships", from Middle English junk, jounke, jonk, joynk (“an old cable or rope”, nautical term), sometimes cut into bits and used as caulking; of uncertain origin; perhaps related to join, joint, juncture. Often compared to Middle English junk, jonk, jonke, junck (“a rush; basket made of rushes”), from Old French jonc, from Latin iuncus (“rush, reed”); however, the Oxford English Dictionary finds "no evidence of connexion".

Meanings

1. (informal, transitive) To throw away.
2. (informal, transitive) To find something for very little money (meaning derived from the term junkshop)
   • (On Facebook, a record collector wrote:) "The newest addition to my Annette Hanshaw collection, I junked this beautiful flawless E-copy within walking distance from my house."
3. (informal, intransitive, transitive) To consume junk food, mainly at a fast-food restaurant.
   • Let me go junking to KFC with you.
   • Let's just junk some burgers at McDonald's.

Forms

Relateds

genitalia · nonsense · old car

Synonyms

chuck away (throw away) · dump (throw away) · discard (throw away) · dispose of (throw away) · throw out (throw away) · junk · cast aside · jettison · throw away (throw away) · pitch · scrap (throw away) · chuck out (throw away) · cast away · get rid of · throw aside · ditch (throw away) · chuck (throw away) · bin (throw away) · trash (throw away) · toss (throw away) · shift · can · cast off · 86

Translations (12)

ru вы́бросить (throw away) · de wegwerfen (throw away) · da kassere (throw away) · nl weggooien (throw away) · da smide ud (throw away) · it rottamare (throw away) · nl wegwerpen (throw away) · ru выбра́сывать (throw away) · nl wegsmijten (throw away) · nl dumpen (throw away) · fi romuttaa (throw away) · bg изхвърлям (throw away)

junk en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒʌŋk/ (UK, US)
• /d͡ʒɐŋk/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. A Chinese sailing vessel.
   • It was a vessel of about seventy tons burthen, and shaped something like a Chinese junk. 1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 160:

Forms

Deriveds

Junk Bay · junk dollar · High Junk · junk party

Translations (46)

pt junco (Chinese sailing vessel) · bo རྒྱ་བཟོ་ཤིང་གྲུ (Chinese sailing vessel) · id jung (Chinese sailing vessel) · gl xunco (Chinese sailing vessel) · cmn 艚 (Chinese sailing vessel) · cs džunka (Chinese sailing vessel) · ca jonc (Chinese sailing vessel) · fi džonkki (Chinese sailing vessel) · ms ajung (Chinese sailing vessel) · sk džunka (Chinese sailing vessel) · cmn 中國式帆船 /中国式帆船 (Chinese sailing vessel) · sh džonka (Chinese sailing vessel) · ga siunca (Síneach) (Chinese sailing vessel) · is júnka (Chinese sailing vessel) · pl dżonka (Chinese sailing vessel) · ru джо́нка (Chinese sailing vessel) · nl jonk (Chinese sailing vessel) · eo ĵonko (Chinese sailing vessel) · ms jong (Chinese sailing vessel) · cmn 戎克船 (Chinese sailing vessel) · th สำเภา (Chinese sailing vessel) · ar جُنْك (Chinese sailing vessel) · sh џонка (Chinese sailing vessel) · ja 戎克 (Chinese sailing vessel) · hu dzsunka (Chinese sailing vessel) · nb djunke (Chinese sailing vessel) · vi ghe (Chinese sailing vessel) · fa جنگ (Chinese sailing vessel) · sh џунка (Chinese sailing vessel) · is djúnka (Chinese sailing vessel) · ja ジャンク (Chinese sailing vessel) · da junke (Chinese sailing vessel) · bg джонка (Chinese sailing vessel) · cmn 䑸 (Chinese sailing vessel) · nn djunke (Chinese sailing vessel) · ro joncă (Chinese sailing vessel) · et džonki (Chinese sailing vessel) · cmn 舟 (Chinese sailing vessel) · sh džunka (Chinese sailing vessel) · it giunca (Chinese sailing vessel) · es junco (Chinese sailing vessel) · fr jonque (Chinese sailing vessel) · hi जंग (Chinese sailing vessel) · de Dschunke (Chinese sailing vessel) · he גּ׳וּנְקָה (Chinese sailing vessel) · sv djonk (Chinese sailing vessel)