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.
An adult grizzly bear that figured out how to flip 800-pound garbage Dumpsters and other trash cans to find food inside has been euthanized by Yellowstone National Park rangers. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 17 May 2025 The park provides bear-proof food storage lockers in campgrounds, food storage devices in backcountry campsites, and bear-proof garbage cans and dumpsters throughout the park, officials said. Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2025 Imran Rajab, a mother living in Gaza city, told CNN earlier this month she was forced to bake bread using flour from a garbage dumpster to feed her six children. Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 13 May 2025 And the southern approach under the Huddlestone Arch is now pleasant, instead of emerging from the rustic path in the woods to arrive at Lasker’s loading dock and garbage dumpster. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 May 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 25 May. 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!