(CB radio, _, slang) A radio operator's collection of miscellaneous equipment.
I looked at what made me happy in life – travel, outdoor adventures, skating and surfing – so in 2013 I founded [Junkbox](https://junkboxapparel.co.uk/) and created a “mix and match” capsule wardrobe for every activity.
04. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Keane_(Irish_actor)#cite_ref-4 "Jump up")**["The Junkbox Band – Let's Wash Our Socks For Christmas / The Sock Dance (1986, Vinyl)"](https://www.discogs.com/release/13484…
(CB radio, _, slang) A radio operator's collection of miscellaneous equipment.
"junkbox" means a radio operator's collection of miscellaneous equipment. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"junkbox" is informal English meaning a radio operator's collection of miscellaneous equipment. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a radio operator's collection of miscellaneous equipment" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "junkbox" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
"junkbox" means a radio operator's collection of miscellaneous equipment. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "junkbox".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with J.
(slang) A radio.
(slang) boom box.
American slang for a boombox — a large, portable radio and cassette or CD player that could be carried on the shoulder, popular from the late 1970s through the 1990s. The 'jam' element refers to music ('jams'), and the 'box' to the device itself. Part of the vocabulary of hip-hop and street culture in urban America. Today the word sometimes extends to portable Bluetooth speakers.
(UK, US, informal) A worthless or malfunctioning piece of mechanical or electrical equipment.
“I looked at what made me happy in life – travel, outdoor adventures, skating and surfing – so in 2013 I founded [Junkbox](https://junkboxapparel.co.uk/) and created a “mix and match” capsule wardrobe for every activity.”
“04. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Keane_(Irish_actor)#cite_ref-4 "Jump up")**["The Junkbox Band – Let's Wash Our Socks For Christmas / The Sock Dance (1986, Vinyl)"](https://www.discogs.com/release/13484103-The-Junkbox-Band-Lets-Wash-Our-Socks-For-Christmas-The-Sock-Dance). _[Discogs.com](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discogs.com "Discogs.com")_.”
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(Scottish, dated) A tenement sink.