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.
When some youngsters in Rome tried to set a dumpster on fire, others quickly extinguished the blaze, keen to avoid the type of violence that has marred similar protests in France. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026 Ace Hardware didn’t have dumpsters on the site, and the new enclosure will be built on the north side of the property. — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026 The person advertising the dumpster collects money through a payment app and appears to be the provider. — Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 At the road he was met by brown, sediment-laden floodwaters carrying vehicles and a dumpster. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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