scartare

Scartare is an Italian verb with several related meanings. The primary sense is to discard or throw away something that is considered useless, broken, or unnecessary. It is also used for unwrapping or removing packaging, as in scartare un regalo or scartare la carta da regalo. In a broader sense, scartare can indicate excluding or ruling out options, proposals, or hypotheses during planning or decision-making. In card games, scartare specifically means to discard a card from one’s hand.

Etymology and form. The word derives from scarto, meaning a waste, offcut, or discard, with the common -are verb ending forming the infinitive. Scartare is a regular first-conjugation verb. The principal parts are: scarto, scarti, scarta, scartiamo, scartate, scartano; present participle scartando; past participle scartato. The noun scarto (m.) is used for the discarded material or the act of discarding itself, as in scarti di produzione (production waste) or scarto di una carta (discarded card).

Usage notes. Scartare appears across different registers from everyday speech to technical language. When referring to packaging, it often collocates with regali (gifts) or scatole (boxes). In manufacturing, it denotes rejects from quality control. In games, it describes discarding a card to improve one’s position. In reasoning, scartare an hypothesis means to disregard it as unlikely.

Examples. Ho scartato la scatola non era danneggiata. Hai scartato una carta dall’onorevole tavolo? Durante l’ispezione, molte unità sono state scartate per difetto. Scartiamo questa proposta e cerchiamo alternative.

See also. scarto, scarti, scartare una carta, scartare un modello.