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.
This came in right after the Pelicans and Wizards emptied dumpsters in the deal that gave Washington future cap space and the Pelicans current tax relief. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025 Dressed in a white short-sleeve top, black leggings and flat black shoes, Read was seen plucking boxes from the bin and tossing them into a large dumpster. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025 The federal appeals court ruled that the third condition was likely met during the unrest in Los Angeles, citing violent actions by protesters — including throwing objects at immigration vehicles, using dumpsters as battering rams, deploying Molotov cocktails, and damaging property. Martha McHardy Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 In the clip, Swanson throws a computer into a dumpster. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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