dumpster

noun

dump·​ster ˈdəm(p)-stər How to pronounce dumpster (audio)
variants or less commonly Dumpster
: a large trash receptacle

Examples of dumpster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The couple then crossed county lines to leave her body in a dumpster, which has since then likely been taken to a landfill in Hillsborough County, police said. — Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025 Four of the dogs were found in a dumpster by the shelter. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025 There are these huge, regal white marble or granite deities crafted with such care that now just remain there amongst the dumpsters. — Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2025 The person was found behind dumpsters near the front of the school, at 3309 W. Long Ave., according to an online police incident report. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dumpster

Word History

Etymology

dump entry 1 + -ster (originally in the trademarked name Dempster Dumpster, applied to mechanically loaded refuse containers produced by the Dempster Brothers Company of Knoxville, Tennessee)

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dumpster was in 1937

Phrases Containing dumpster

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Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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