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.
Near my hotel, a few blocks from the Torre K23, there were several dumpsters overflowing with garbage. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 After leaving the bar, Routt tried to get rid of the gun and ammunition at a gas station, which detectives later found in a nearby dumpster, the complaint said. Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 27 Sep. 2025 The historical society is seeking the radio in the hopes that someone may have salvaged it from the dumpster at the time, per the post. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025 The Arvada Police Department arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the discovery of a 29-year-old woman’s body inside of a black box next to a dumpster near an apartment building. Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2025.

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