Meanings
plural garbage collectors · alternative garbage-collector
- CanadaUSA worker who removes refuse, especially from properties.
the mayor of Maycomb asked us to please help the garbage collector by dumping our own trees and trash.
1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLCSynonyms: bin man
- computerAn algorithm, procedure or thread dedicated to garbage collection: reclaiming resources which are no longer in use.
Java uses a technique known as garbage collection to remove objects that are no longer needed. The garbage collector is Java's grim reaper.
2002, Patrick Niemeyer, Jonathan Knudsen, Learning Java, O'Reilly, →ISBN, page 135Synonyms: GC, dustman, garbage man, garbo, refuse collector, sanitation engineer, trashman, Kabaadi
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA worker who removes refuse, especially from properties.
nounAn algorithm, procedure or thread dedicated to garbage collection: reclaiming resources which are no longer in use.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone employed to collect and dispose of refuse
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic جَامِع الْمُخَلَّفَات, جَامِعَة الْمُخَلَّفَات
- جَامِع الْمُخَلَّفَات (jāmiʕ al-muḵallafāt)worker
- جَامِعَة الْمُخَلَّفَاتworker
Bulgarian боклукчия, боклукчи́йка
- боклукчия (boklukčija)worker
- боклукчи́йка (boklukčíjka)worker
Catalan escombriaire
- escombriaireworker
Chinese Mandarin 清潔隊員 /清洁队员
- 清潔隊員 /清洁队员worker
Czech popelář, popelářka
- popelářworker
- popelářkaworker
Dutch vuilnisman, vuilnisvrouw
- vuilnismanworker
- vuilnisvrouwworker
- vuilnisophalerworker
Finnish roskakuski, roskienkeräin
- roskakuskiworker
- roskienkeräinprogram
- roskienkerääjäprogram
French éboueur, éboueuse
- éboueurworker
- éboueuseworker
- ramasse-miettesprogram
- glaneur de cellulesprogram
- récupérateur de mémoireprogram
German Müllmann, Müllwerker
- Müllmannworker
- Müllwerkerworker
- Müllfrauworker
- Müllwerkerinworker
- Garbage Collectorprogram
Greek σκουπιδιάρης, συλλέκτης απορριμάτων
- σκουπιδιάρης (skoupidiáris)worker
- συλλέκτης απορριμάτων (sylléktis aporrimáton)program
Hungarian kukás
- kukásworker
Icelandic ruslakarl, sorphreinsunarmaður
- ruslakarlworker
- sorphreinsunarmaðurworker
- öskukarlworker
- ruslasafnariprogram
- ruslsafnariprogram
- ruslsópariprogram
Italian netturbino, spazzino
- netturbinoworker
- spazzinoworker
- operatore ecologicoworker
Polish śmieciarz, śmieciarka
- śmieciarzworker
- śmieciarkaworker
Portuguese lixeiro, lixeira
- lixeiroworker
- lixeiraworker
- coletor de lixoprogram
Romanian gunoier, gunoieră
- gunoierworker
- gunoierăworker
Russian му́сорщик, му́сорщица
- му́сорщик (músorščik)worker
- му́сорщица (músorščica)worker
- сбо́рщик му́сора (sbórščik músora)program
Slovak smetiar, smetiarka
- smetiarworker
- smetiarkaworker
Spanish basurero, basurera
- basureroworker
- basureraworker
- recolector de basuraprogram
Swedish sophämtare, sopgubbe
- sophämtareworker
- sopgubbeworker
- skräpsamlareprogram
Turkish çöpçü
- çöpçüworker
Ukrainian сміття́р, сміття́рка
- сміття́р (smittjár)worker
- сміття́рка (smittjárka)worker
Cite this entry
garbage collector. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/garbage%20collector
“garbage collector.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/garbage%20collector. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “garbage collector,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/garbage%20collector.
Source: garbage collector on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.