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Is There a dunnage and Cheese Connection?
Etymologists don't know the exact origin of dunnage. Some have pointed out the similarity of the word to dünne twige, a Low German term meaning "brushwood," but no one has ever proven the two are related. Others have speculated that it derives from Dunlop, the name of a famous cheese-making town in Scotland; however, neither the town nor the cheese has any connection to dunnage. Truth be told, though dunnage has been with us since the 15th century, its etymological history remains a mystery.
Examples of dunnage in a Sentence
David Thomas Tao, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
But not before stepping into Bowmore’s oldest dunnage warehouse to hand fill a bottle of single malt that’s been maturing there since 1998.
—Brad Japhe, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
The company operates traditional Speyside dunnage warehouses with earthen floors and barrels stacked three high.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2023
Not surprising, it was matured in Warehouse #2, an old dunnage warehouse just 150 feet from the shore of the Cromarty Firth on the North Sea.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2021
The mash tun, the still room and the dunnage warehouse all date back to the original 1830 construction.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 27 Apr. 2021
Orbis manufactures plastic reusable totes, bulk containers, pallets and dunnage.
—Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Dunnage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunnage. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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