Word of the Day

: August 17, 2016

dunnage

noun DUN-ij

What It Means

1 : loose materials used to support and protect cargo in a ship's hold; also : padding in a shipping container

2 : baggage

dunnage in Context

The listed weight on the shipping order did not account for the container and dunnage.

"There are … efforts to reduce impact on the environment, with employees reusing as much of the packing material as possible. Boxes can be reused or turned into dunnage to use in packing." — The Crossville (Tennessee) Chronicle, 26 Nov. 2012

Did You Know?

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.