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How many different definitions are there?  I start to think about it and there's a bunch of scenarios that fit "garbage time." 

I mention following efficiency quite often.  One site that does that weekly was linked here yesterday ... it's worth the bookmark, IMO.

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They define garbage time as follows:

Garbage and Non-Garbage Possessions

Unless otherwise noted, all ratings and supporting data found on this site are calculated only after first filtering out garbage possessions, defined as of July 2018, as follows:

• An offensive possession of two plays or fewer that runs out the clock to conclude the first half and does not result in a turnover, score, or field goal attempt
• An offensive possession of two plays or fewer that runs out the clock to conclude the second half with the score tied and does not result in a turnover, score, or field goal attempt
• A possession in the second half of a game in which eight times the number of the losing team's remaining possessions plus one is less than the losing team's scoring deficit at the start of the possession
• An offensive possession or non-offensive scoring possession by the winning team leading by eight points or fewer at the start of the possession that runs out the clock to conclude the game

Since 2007, 10.5 percent of all possessions have been classified as garbage possessions according to these criteria. FBS games have averaged 23.8 non-garbage possessions per game (11.9 non-garbage possessions and 11.2 non-garbage offensive drives per team per game) in that span.