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
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The badly decomposed remains of a woman were found Wednesday evening in a dumpster near an Oakland freeway offramp, authorities said. Harry Harris, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026 Gaddis is accused of beating Elyjah to death in an apartment in the 14500 block of Lanark Street in Panorama City on July 11 and then tossing the body in a dumpster where it was found the following day, prosecutors said. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 On July 12, 2025, the body of Elyjah Hearn was found wrapped in a blanket in a dumpster in Panorama City, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026 Security camera footage at the complex showed Vidal wearing the sandals the day detectives say the murders happened, and also showed Vidal making several trips to the dumpster throwing away full trash bags, according to the report. David Goodhue april 27, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 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 1 May. 2026.

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