throwaway

See also: throw-away and throw away

English

Etymology

throw +‎ away.

Adjective

throwaway (not comparable)

  1. Disposable; intended for a single use prior to being discarded.
    Water was provided in throwaway plastic bottles, but the more ecologically minded of us refilled our initial bottles from the fountain.
    • 2021 January 13, Phoebe Weston, “Top scientists warn of 'ghastly future of mass extinction' and climate disruption”, in The Guardian:
      More people means that more synthetic compounds and dangerous throwaway plastics are manufactured, many of which add to the growing toxification of the Earth.
  2. Extemporaneous; off the cuff.
    The host made a throwaway remark about the president that was later repeated on the television news.
  3. Given in a casual manner, either deliberately or unconsciously, with apparent disregard for effect.
    • As the film opens, a martial-drum-dominated version of the "Star Wars" theme and the inevitable bottom-to-top print crawl inform us that the Clone Wars, a conflict that originated as a throwaway line in the original 1977 film... http://www.nysun.com/arts/star-wars-clone-wars-painted-in-the-stars/83922/
    • I was intrigued by the exchange in one of the opening scenes where the Warden says to Snake: "You flew the wing-five over Leningrad, didn't you?" It turns out to be just a throwaway line, but for a moment it worked like the best SF, where a casual reference can imply a lot. https://web.archive.org/web/20120125090151/http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/gibson_interview.html
    • 2021 February 5, Nicholas Barber, “The Great Dictator: The film that dared to laugh at Hitler”, in BBC‎:
      In one throwaway visual gag, the towering filing cabinet behind his desk is shown to have no drawers at all, but several concealed mirrors instead.

Synonyms

Noun

throwaway (plural throwaways)

  1. Something temporary and disposable.
    • 2016, Dr Eric Murphy Selinger; Dr William A Gleason, Romance Fiction and American Culture:
      Some [of the essays] appeared originally in writer's[sic] forums and bookstore throwaways, others in more academic contexts […]
  2. (Internet) A burner account.
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