disposable
/dɪˈspəʊzəb(ə)l
/adjective
1(Of an article) intended to be thrown away after use: disposable nappies a disposable razor...
- Articles such as disposable diapers, bibs, clothing, etc. are disclosed.
- Even the razor should be a disposable one, thrown out after use.
- So he conceived of a line of cheap, disposable razor blades that could be purchased in bulk and discarded before they ever needed sharpening.
Synonyms
throwaway, expendable, one-use, non-returnable, replaceable;
paper, plastic;
biodegradable, photodegradable
1.1(Of a person or idea) able to be dispensed with; easily dismissed: the poor performer is motivated by the fear that he or she is highly disposable...
- We're dealing with what you should really consider to be disposable people and kind of even a new model of slavery.
- ‘We're disposable,’ she said of the military's attitude toward reservists.
- Because I somehow feel that somewhere in someone's thinking fathers are disposable, because that's the way we're treating this man.
2(Chiefly of financial assets) readily available for the owner’s use as required: he made a mental inventory of his disposable assets...
- Investment will therefore be a function of the financial viability of the hospital and its possession of disposable assets rather than its ranking in terms of national and regional need.
- As a business owner, you can't afford to view employees as disposable assets.
- We have exhausted all our savings and disposable assets.
Synonyms
available, usable, accessible, obtainable, spendable
noun
An article designed to be thrown away after use: don’t buy disposables, such as cups and plates...
- The safety disposables are designed so that reuse is excluded.
- Whether you're trying to bond a cannula to a syringe hub, cement a lens in an endoscope, or produce disposables, chances are that some company makes an adhesive especially for that purpose.
- The latter is a medical device manufacturer specializing in proprietary OEM products and private-label fluid disposables.
Derivatives
disposability
/ noun ...- ‘The disposability of music? ‘he frowns, ‘I don't know about that.
- Over 85 percent of the factories are American owned, and employ primarily women because of their perceived docility, dexterity and disposability.
- If we want to see where the disposability of ‘insignificant’ people leads us we need only look back to the stern lessons of 20th century Europe.