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 dumpster outside of the Cash Saver grocery store in Connellsville. Christopher Derose, CBS News, 9 June 2026 The following morning, authorities found the child's body in a dumpster near North 55th Street and West Vliet Street, roughly a mile from his home, WISN reported. Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026 The dumpster mostly consisted of recyclables and a lot of cardboard, which Houston Fire Department Senior Capt. Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026 When people jump into dumpsters in any other show, they’re met with a soft and welcoming landing on garbage bags that are presumably full of cotton balls and pillows. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026 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 12 Jun. 2026.

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