scrap-iron
Noun: scrap-iron refers to discarded or waste pieces of iron that are collected for reprocessing or recycling. It is a mass noun (uncountable) and typically denotes iron that is no longer useful in its current form but retains value as raw material for smelting or manufacturing.
- (The iron components were no longer functional and were sold for reprocessing.)
- (He gathered discarded iron pieces to sell to a recycler.)
- (The value of recycled iron changes with market conditions.)
"to be worth more as scrap-iron": to have greater value when melted down and reused than in its current form.
- The old ship is worth more as scrap-iron than as a museum piece. (Its iron structure is more valuable for recycling than for preservation.)
"scrap-iron market": the economic sector dealing with the trade and pricing of discarded iron.
- The scrap-iron market has been booming due to increased construction activity. (The demand for recycled iron has risen.)
Scrap metal (n): a broader term that includes scrap-iron as well as other discarded metals like copper, aluminum, or steel.
- The junkyard processes scrap metal of all kinds, not just scrap-iron. (It handles various recyclable metals.)
Scrap (n): waste material or discarded items, often specifically metal; also a verb meaning to discard.
- They decided to scrap the old car for its iron. (They dismantled and sold it as scrap-iron.)
- Waste iron: iron that is no longer usable in its current form.
- Recycled iron: iron that has been processed for reuse (though "scrap-iron" refers to the material before processing).
- Iron scrap: a synonym with the same meaning, often used interchangeably.
- "Scrap-iron" does not commonly appear in idioms. However, the word "scrap" appears in idioms such as:
- "Scrap heap": a pile of discarded materials.
- The old engine ended up on the scrap heap. (It was thrown away as waste.)
None directly applicable to "scrap-iron" as a noun. The verb "scrap" (to discard) is related but not a phrasal verb.