disposable meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

disposable

adj

UK /dɪsˈpəʊzəbl̩/ · US /dɪsˈpoʊzəbl̩/

Etymology From dispos(e) + -able.

That can be disposed of.

That is designed to be discarded rather than reused, refilled or repaired.

Rather than purchase an expensive razor he bought a packet of cheap disposable ones.
A disposable cup sits in a museum gallery, fully intact even after being cast aside thousands of years ago.2019 December 16, Amy Woodyatt, “3,600-year-old disposable cup shows even our ancestors hated doing dishes”, in CNN:

Available to be used; at one's disposal.

Synonyms: single-use, throwaway
Antonyms: non-disposable, nondisposable, undisposable, indisposable
Derived terms: daily disposable, disposability, disposable diaper, disposable income, disposable nappy, disposableness, disposable razor, disposably, reposable, sposie

noun

Etymology From dispos(e) + -able.

Any object that is designed to be disposed of, rather than refilled or repaired.

Parents who use cloth diapers often use disposables for travel, nights, or both.2010, Kathleen Huggins, The Expectant Parents' Companion, page 88:
Durable goods can be cost-effective but make great disease vectors, and disposables like syringes and needles can be a problem in the poorest places, where there's desperate need of vaccines for diseases like polio. That's where the UCSD scientists come in.2016 January 14, Jessica Hall, “Nanoengineers build 'microcannons' that fire light-up bullets filled with drugs”, in ExtremeTech:

A disposable vaporizer, as for nicotine or a concentrate of cannabis (THC).