dumpster
Americannoun
-
dumpsters
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dumpster
First recorded in 1935–40; dump ( def. ) + -ster ( def. ), originally part of the jingle “Dempster Dumpster, ” a trademark for a large trash container manufactured by the Dempster Brothers Company in Knoxville, Tennessee
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The resident who found the child told KNBC-TV that she was taking out the trash around 10:30 p.m. when she saw a black cloth bag inside the dumpster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
My wife and children will have no trouble tossing all of my memories into a dumpster someday.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The couple spent their courtship sharing fun Covid-era activities, like stealing toilet paper, enjoying empty cinemas and stadiums, and taking selfies in front of dumpster fires, all to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.”
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
But few things could compare with the current dumpster fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The bulldog who’d been tormenting the old dog at the dumpster.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Piling dumpsters, bins and barriers in front of their schools, or carrying often humorous signs at protests, pupils have complained about absent teachers, overloaded timetables, overcrowded classes and dilapidated classrooms, among other grievances.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
He has over 14,000 denim items, some of which he saved from dumpsters, others were donated, and some are his own unwashed pairs of raw denim jeans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Around small cities and suburbs, the predators follow their keen sense of smell to dumpsters, cars and homes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
When he learned of the raid on his parents, Bahraman rushed to throw out all of the Bibles in public dumpsters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2026
We have looked inside the construction dumpsters plenty.
From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
