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.
Investigators believe, with the help of surveillance footage, the dog was left in the dumpster around 10 p.m. Jan. 20. Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025 But faith in the traditional media is in the dumpster. Axios, 7 Jan. 2025 After a Good Samaritan found a trio of puppies in a South Dakota dumpster, a local animal rescue is looking for answers. Bailey Richards, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025 Southern New Jersey police have charged a 26-year-old man after a 2-year-old Bichon Frise was found in a dumpster slightly south of Staten Island. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near dumpster

Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 22 Feb. 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!