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.
Some members openly questioned whether having a democratic socialist run a city seemingly destined for the dumpster was the best look for their movement. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Officials said the person had been inside a dumpster before it was emptied into the garbage truck. — Kat Filardi, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The sedan crossed Southgate Street and crashed into a dumpster enclosure at a business, police said. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 Last month, two puppies who were found abandoned in a New York City dumpster, their muzzles wired shut, completed their recovery and moved on to loving homes. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing dumpster

Browse Nearby Words

dump shot
dumpster
dumpster diving
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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