scrap1
/skrap
/noun
1A small piece or amount of something, especially one that is left over after the greater part has been used: I scribbled her address on a scrap of paper scraps of information...
- All of the Security Council resolutions and condemnations would still be issued and still be ignored, scraps of paper amounting to nothing.
- The room fell temporarily silent as the three pieced together all scraps of information.
- He always had a treat for me; a piece of lard, scraps of smoked fish or ham served with a bright smile and a pat on the head.
Synonyms
fragment, piece, bit, offcut, oddment, snippet, snip, tatter, wisp, shred, remnant
bit, speck, iota, particle, ounce, whit, jot, atom, shred, crumb, morsel, fragment, grain, drop, hint, touch, trace, suggestion, whisper, suspicion, scintilla, spot, mite, tittle, jot or tittle, modicum;
Irish stim
informal smidgen, smidge, tad
archaic scantling, scruple
1.1 (scraps) Bits of uneaten food left after a meal: he filled Sammy’s bowls with fresh water and scraps...
- Never leave any food, even leftover scraps or candy bars, around your tent or campfire.
- For the raccoons, he left food scraps in a hubcap dish leashed by chain to a tree so the animals wouldn't drag it under the cottage.
- Remember, baits will only be effective if there is no other accessible food around, for example dirty dishes, food scraps.
Synonyms
leftovers, uneaten food, leavings, crumbs, scrapings, slops, dregs, scourings, offscourings, remains, remnants, residue, odds and ends, bits and pieces, bits and bobs;
pieces, bits
1.2Used to emphasize the lack or smallness of something: there was not a scrap of aggression in him every scrap of green land is up for grabs by development...
- No amount of festive tips on the perfect table centrepiece or how to wrap an awkwardly-shaped present will make a scrap of difference.
- Without a scrap of make-up, the chocolate-box prettiness is still there: the clear turquoise eyes, creamy skin and chiselled bone structure are luminous.
- So you have an ethics officer in a department or corporation, but no one will take a scrap of notice of them.
1.3A particularly small thing of its kind: she was wearing a short black skirt and a tiny scrap of a top...
- Is he referring to the big part where they're growing opium and selling it for weapons, or the tiny scrap our guy holds with a lot of help from our guns?
- Maybe that's why everyone has taken the news to heart - she's such a scrap of a thing that we greet her illness not unlike the wounding of a tiny bird.
2 (also scrap metal) [mass noun] Discarded metal for reprocessing: the steamer was eventually sold for scrap...
- If all else fails, the cylinders can be recycled as scrap metal at your local metal yard.
- Speer said he was unaware that soldiers were searching landfills for scrap metal and discarded glass.
- Undaunted, he used his welding skills to sculpt an emu from scrap metal and when it sold for £200 he was launched on a new career.
2.1 [often as modifier] Any waste articles or discarded material: we’re burning scrap lumber he painted scenes on cardboard shirt boxes and other scrap material...
- Once you find out they don't fit as planned, prepare to wedge some scrap pieces of material to fill the gaps.
- ‘The event also involved sleeping outside in a ‘refugee camp’ built out of scrap materials.’
- We have worked with a lot of scrap materials, which we have now painted up.
Synonyms
waste, refuse, garbage, rubbish, litter, discarded matter, debris, detritus, dross;
flotsam and jetsam, lumber;
North American trash;
Australian/New Zealand mullock
informal dreck, junk
British informal grot, gash
rare draff, raffle, raff, cultch, orts
verb (scraps, scrapping, scrapped) [with object]
1Discard or remove from service (a redundant, old, or inoperative vehicle, vessel, or machine), especially so as to convert it to scrap metal: a bold decision was taken to scrap existing plant...
- Fishermen who want to trade up and buy a bigger boat usually scrap their existing vessel and buy extra tonnage from the market.
- I have found after discussions with the dealer that a lot of these old machines are scrapped and thrown out as a profit can no longer be made from them.
- The one-dimensional approach of the Commission's proposals in terms of retraining fishermen and scrapping vessels will destroy fishing communities.
Synonyms
throw away, throw out, dispose of, get rid of, do away with, toss out, throw on the scrapheap, clear out, discard, remove, dispense with, lose, eliminate, dump, bin, jettison, shed, dismiss, expel, eject, weed out, root out;
decommission, recycle, break up, demolish, write off;
destroy, annihilate, obliterate
informal chuck (away/out), ditch, junk, get shut of
British informal get shot of, see the back of
North American informal trash, shuck off, wreck
1.1Abolish or cancel (a plan, policy, or law): he supports the idea that road tax should be scrapped...
- Cumbrian gamekeepers and stalkers have embraced Government plans to scrap archaic laws stopping the sale of game all year round.
- Plans to scrap laws which allow parents and patients to sue for billions of pounds worth of compensation were being unveiled by the Tories today.
- Passengers who were expecting to fly buzz routes in April will have to abandon their plans as its new owner Ryanair plans to scrap the schedule.
Synonyms
abandon, drop, abolish, withdraw, throw out, do away with, give up, stop, put an end to, cancel, eliminate, cut, jettison
informal axe, ditch, dump, junk, chuck in
Origin
Late Middle English (as a plural noun denoting fragments of uneaten food): from Old Norse skrap 'scraps'; related to skrapa 'to scrape'. The verb dates from the late 19th century.
Rhymes
scrap2
/skrap/informal
noun
A fight or quarrel, especially a minor or spontaneous one: they were involved in a goalmouth scrap and a player was sent off he had several minor scraps with the army authorities...
- At the end of a minor classic of a scrap, the judges could barely separate the two fighters.
- ‘On days like this you have to play the elements as well as the opposition, which is why it was a bit of a scrap and fight,’ said the manager.
- At his unhappiest when forced into a scrap, O'Sullivan fought back to go in at the interval all square, but his poor form continued and Henry claimed a deserved win.
Synonyms
quarrel, argument, row, fight, disagreement, difference of opinion, dissension, falling-out, dispute, disputation, contention, squabble, contretemps, clash, altercation, exchange, brawl, tussle, conflict, affray, war of words, shouting match, fracas, wrangle, tangle, misunderstanding, passage of/at arms, battle royal;
Irish, North American, & Australian donnybrook
informal tiff, set-to, run-in, shindig, shindy, stand-up, spat, dust-up, ruction
British informal barney, bunfight, ding-dong, bust-up, ruck, slanging match
British informal, Football afters
Scottish informal rammy
North American informal hassle
archaic broil, miff
Scottish archaic threap, collieshangie
French archaic tracasserie(s)
verb (scraps, scrapping, scrapped) [no object]
1Engage in a minor fight or quarrel: the older boys started scrapping with me...
- At 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, the giant enjoys giving his team momentum boosts by scrapping with defenders.
- In fact, the colony of 3,000 seals is pupping now: weaning their fluffy young, scrapping with their sisters and chasing off marauding bulls keen to get them pregnant again.
- It turns out that it was BNP officials he was scrapping with.
Synonyms
quarrel, argue, have a row/fight, row, fight, disagree, fail to agree, differ, be at odds, have a misunderstanding, be at variance, fall out, dispute, squabble, brawl, bicker, chop logic, spar, wrangle, bandy words, cross swords, lock horns, be at each other's throats, be at loggerheads
informal argufy
archaic altercate
1.1Compete fiercely: the two drivers scrapped for the lead...
- Inevitably, though, the increased production means everyone will be scrapping for profits as competition heats up.
- Confirmation of Webber's move will trigger another frenzy of deal-making as drivers scrap for the last few available places on the grid.
- Frankly, they'll both be awesome this year - lots of competitive fast bikes scrapping for wins.
Derivatives
scrapper
- The Democratic Party is seen as soft and welfare friendly to small town scrappers who feel they've had to fight for all they had.
- There's no doubt the Aussies are better scrappers than most of the other teams and that's seen them in good stead so far.
- You respected him as an unbelievable scrapper with a never-say-die ferocity to play every match as if it was his last.
Origin
Late 17th century (as a noun in the sense 'sinister plot, scheme'): perhaps from the noun scrape.