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discard
/dɪˈskɑːrd/
to get rid of
She decided to discard her old clothes to make space in her closet.
She chose to throw away her old clothes to create more room.
general
to throw away or get rid of something unwanted
The company will discard outdated inventory to reduce storage costs.
The company will eliminate old stock to save on storage expenses.
Commonly used in everyday contexts as well as business or environmental discussions.
technical
to remove a playing card from one's hand in a game
In poker, players must discard one card before drawing a new one.
Poker players must give up one card to take another from the deck.
Specific to card games like poker or bridge.
general
something discarded; waste material
The trash bin was full of discarded papers and wrappers.
The bin contained thrown-away papers and packaging.
Often used in the plural form ('discards') to refer to multiple items.
Collocations
discard somethingget rid of somethingdiscard pilea place for unwanted itemsdiscard ratethe percentage of items thrown away
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistakes with 'Discard'
Avoid using 'discard' to mean 'ignore' in non-literal contexts (e.g., 'discard advice' is incorrect; use 'ignore' instead). 'Discard' implies physical or literal removal.
Gold Rule
When to Use 'Discard'
Use 'discard' for tangible items or in gaming contexts. For abstract things like feelings or advice, use 'ignore' or 'dismiss'.
Word Origin
From Old French *discarder* (to throw away), derived from *des-* (away) + *carder* (to card wool), from Latin *carduus* (thistle, used for carding wool). The sense of 'to remove a card' in games emerged in the 17th century.
Usage Notes
Used as both a verb and a noun. As a noun, it often refers to discarded items collectively. In gaming, it specifically means to remove a card from one's hand.
Word Breakdown
dis-
prefix meaning 'apart' or 'away'
prefix-card-
from Latin *carduus* (thistle), used for carding wool
rootEnglish Dictionary