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chatarra

scrap metal

noun chah-TAH-rrah Rare
Home & Lifestyle Household Items

Origin: From Basque txatarra (old, broken thing).

Also means

junk

Usage Note

Chatarra primarily means scrap metal or salvageable waste material, but colloquially it extends to anything of poor quality or broken-down condition — comida chatarra is the widespread term for 'junk food' in Latin America, while Spain prefers comida basura. The word entered Spanish from Basque, making it one of the relatively few Basque loanwords in common use.

Examples

"Vendieron la chatarra del coche viejo."

Natural Translation

They sold the scrap metal from the old car.

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