discarding

Pluraldiscardings (some meanings)

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of discard.

   The office staff spent the morning discarding outdated records to free up storage.

   Discarding her last doubts, she signed the contract.

   Note

   Two grammars share this spelling. As a participle it follows be (she was discarding old files) or opens a phrase (Discarding her doubts, she signed). As a gerund it fills a noun slot but keeps a verb's direct object: discarding receipts is risky. Add of and it becomes the noun for the act: the discarding of receipts. In card play it can stand alone, with no object: he was discarding.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   The act of throwing something away or getting rid of it as unwanted.

   The discarding of single-use plastics has become a major environmental concern.

   Proper discarding of medical waste is governed by strict guidelines.

   Similardisposal, dumping, removal

   Oppositeretention, keeping

3. 3
   nouncountableplural

   Material that has been thrown away or rejected as no longer useful.

   The river carried industrial discardings downstream for miles.

   Crews collected the discardings left behind after the festival.

   Similarwaste, refuse, rubbish, debris, litter

   Note

   Here the word moves from the act to what the act leaves behind, and it is normally plural: the usual discardings of country folk. The plural marks the concrete sense. A discarding is the act of throwing away; discardings are the things thrown out, in the way leavings and sweepings name what is left over.

Showing meanings only. Show all 3