Rubbish \Rub"bish\, n. [OE. robows, robeux, rubble, originally
an Old French plural from an assumed dim. of robe, probably
in the sense of trash; cf. It. robaccia trash, roba stuff,
goods, wares, robe. Thus, etymologically rubbish is the pl.
of rubble. See Robe, and cf. Rubble.]
Waste or rejected matter; anything worthless; valueless
stuff; trash; especially, fragments of building materials or
fallen buildings; ruins; d['e]bris.
What rubbish and what offal! --Shak.
he saw the town's one half in rubbish lie. --Dryden.
Rubbish pulley. See Gin block, under Gin.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) |