Discarded
/dɪsˈkɑːrdɪd/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo reject or get rid of something because it is no longer useful or wanted.
/dɪsˈkɑːrdɪd/
To throw away or get rid of something.
She discarded the newspaper after reading it.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're cleaning your room and find some old toys you don't play with anymore. Discarding them means you decide to throw them away or give them to someone else. It's about getting rid of things you don't need.
👶 For kids: To throw something away because you don't want it anymore.
More Examples
The factory discarded the defective products.
He discarded the old clothes that no longer fit.
How It's Used
"The company discarded the old computers when they upgraded to new ones."
"In the game, players often discarded cards to reduce their hand size."
Something that has been thrown away or is no longer useful.
/dɪsˈkɑːrdɪd/
Having been thrown away or rejected.
The discarded toys were left on the curb.
💡 Simply: If something is discarded, it means it has already been thrown away, like a soda can after you drink from it. It's no longer being used or kept.
👶 For kids: Something that has been thrown away because it's not needed anymore.
More Examples
She saw a pile of discarded clothes on the sidewalk.
Discarded materials littered the construction site.
How It's Used
"The archeologist found many discarded tools at the excavation site."
"The detective found discarded evidence at the crime scene."
From Middle English *discarden*, from Old French *descarder*, meaning 'to throw away'. The prefix 'dis-' means 'away' and the root 'carder' (from *carte* or 'card' meaning 'paper') originally referred to throwing away cards in a game.
Historically, 'discard' was used more frequently in contexts of games and strategic actions, such as discarding cards in a card game to improve one's hand.
Memory tip
Think of discarding a bad hand of cards – you want to get rid of them.