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 inspector found a dying roach near the mop sink and the outside dumpster lid was left open. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Dec. 2025 Prosecutors say that after the murder, partly motivated by financial gain, Walshe methodically cut up his wife's body and disposed of it in dumpsters. Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025 Brian was also captured on surveillance footage disposing of items in a dumpster near the couple’s home. Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025 Additional surveillance footage presented in court showed someone throwing out trash bags at dumpsters on multiple days in early January 2023. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 18 Dec. 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 24 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!