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.
Video from the scene shows several dumpsters on fire as police moved in to regain control of the building after the demonstrators had locked themselves inside. Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025 The tiles whirled, twisting and turning like helicopter seeds or bird wings, before hitting the metal dumpster below. Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025 Like any big industry, the automotive business has several dumpsters filled with products and ideas that should have remained conceptual. ArsTechnica, 7 May 2025 What to Know Footage posted to social media showed protesters pushing back against police earlier in the day, and dumpsters ablaze in the street. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 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 23 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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