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

It smelled like “a hint of dumpster at a seafood restaurant,” said Parrett, 46, who visited with her husband and two teenage kids.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

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

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

And so-called artificial intelligence, of course, is adding napalm to this dumpster fire.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2026

Now, I have two stocks that I put in the dumpster category.

From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026

Near the same dumpster where he’d first met Dozer and Petunia.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 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

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

Nathan Kehn has rescued cats and kittens from some tough spots — dumpsters, an abandoned police car and, in one case, a cramped space behind a water heater.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025

We have looked inside the construction dumpsters plenty.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor