dumpster

American  

[duhmp-ster] / ˈdʌmp stər /

Or Dumpster

noun

• dumpsters
  plural

1. a large metal or plastic bin for refuse designed to be hoisted onto a specially equipped truck for emptying or hauling away.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dumpsters
  plural

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

See Examples For:

dumpster dumpsters

One of the most viscerally terrifying scenes of “Mulholland Drive” takes place behind the dumpster at the abandoned Caesar’s diner in Gardena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

But few things could compare with the current dumpster fire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

May 7 Dark humor means something different to a woman who narrowly escaped being thrown in the dumpster as a baby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

“It’s been a dumpster fire of a year,” he said.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

As it turns onto the driveway, we can now see the dumpster that stands next to the loading bay.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

The first large group appeared near the dumpsters behind the police station.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

He parked right next to two dumpsters, and the tents—how many?

From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026

He said it cost him $40,000 to hire a private contractor to gather up and dispose of several dumpsters of busted-up concrete.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025

His brother, Jess, despite reports of a substantial inheritance, has been photographed living rough and foraging in dumpsters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025

Was it worth it to mess up your whole life for the sake of a few dozen lines scrawled on walls and lockers and garbage dumpsters?

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman