noun
garbage collector; garbage man; ragman
A somewhat dated or colloquial term for a person who collects garbage or waste. May carry a slightly derogatory or sensitive nuance; modern polite usage often prefers 清掃員 or ごみ収集作業員.
昔はごみ屋さんが馬車でごみを集めていた。
In the old days, garbage collectors used to collect trash with a horse-drawn cart.
彼は子供の頃、ごみ屋になりたいと言って笑われた。
When he was a child, he was laughed at for saying he wanted to become a garbage man.
Compound of ごみ (garbage) and 屋 (shop, dealer, or person engaged in a trade). The 屋 suffix is productively used to form occupational nouns.