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.
Workers at the Anson County Landfill, the next stop for the dumpster’s contents, told police that employees did not see a body. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025 It gets turned into action when people around Kansas City dig through the many dumpsters located around town. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2025 An investigation revealed that Metz failed to put the purse into personal property and instead rummaged through it and later discarded it in the dumpster of an apartment complex, according to Romano. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025 Photos taken by Reuters in Birmingham this month show mounds of uncollected trash overflowing from collection bins and dumpsters. Max Saltman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!