junker
junker Lexical Profile
junker Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American An old, dilapidated, or broken-down automobile or other machine that is ready to be scrapped.
"He spent the entire summer restoring an old junker in his parents' garage."
A member of the Prussian or eastern German landed nobility, historically known for conservative political influence and military leadership (usually capitalized as Junker).
"During the nineteenth century, the Prussian Junkers held a near monopoly on high-ranking positions within the officer corps."
American Someone who collects, buys, or sells scrap metal and discarded items; a junk dealer.
"Local junkers combed through the demolition site looking for salvageable copper piping and cast-iron fixtures."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a lowercase North American slang term (/ˈdʒʌŋkər/), it refers to a dilapidated vehicle; when capitalized (Junker, pronounced /ˈjʊŋkər/), it is a historical term for a member of the Prussian landed nobility.
• Rhymes for junker
Word Origin & Etymology
The informal vehicle sense derives from American English 'junk' plus the suffix '-er'. The historical aristocratic sense is borrowed from German Junker, a contraction of Middle High German Juncherre ('young nobleman' or 'young lord').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.