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.
From a nearby dumpster there came the sweet and musty smell of decomposing seafood. Literary Hub, 14 May 2026 The prosecution told jurors that Fahim had originally planned to kill Cuomo, to cut off his head, to bury the head somewhere isolated and to leave his body in a dumpster to be taken to a landfill. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 13 May 2026 Mayor Javier Lopez posted images of a dumpster area behind a vacant Rite Aid, appearing to show the site cleaned up. Nina Burns, CBS News, 2 May 2026 The baby did not survive outside the womb and was disposed of in a dumpster, Cortney told investigators, while Rebecca passed away moments after being cut open and was pushed down an embankment and covered with leaves. Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 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 15 May. 2026.

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