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 lid at the exterior garbage dumpster was open at the time of inspection. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026 At a press conference on Thursday, June 25, San Angelo Police Chief Travis Griffith said an anonymous tip received the previous day led officers to a dumpster at an apartment complex on Baker Street. Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 Police found the bag and rifle in a dumpster outside his home a few days later. Wcco Staff, CBS News, 27 June 2026 Here are 12 ways to use old socks that don’t involve a dumpster. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 17 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dumpster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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