Word Origin & History
trash (n.)
"anything of little use or value," 1518, perhaps from a Scand. source (cf. O.N. tros "rubbish, fallen leaves and twigs," Norw. dial. trask "lumber, trash, baggage," Swed. trasa "rags, tatters"), of unknown origin. Applied to ill-bred persons or groups from 1604 ("Othello"). Applied to domestic refuse or garbage in 1906 (Amer.Eng.). The verb meaning "to discard as worthless" is 1895, from the noun; in the sense of "destroy, vandalize" it is attested from 1970; extended to "criticize severely" in 1975. White trash is from 1831, originally Southern U.S. black slang. Trashy "worthless" first attested 1620.