dumpster
Americannoun
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.
And so-called artificial intelligence, of course, is adding napalm to this dumpster fire.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026
In Darnold’s case, that fire was the dumpster blaze known as the New York Jets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
But they haven’t been as forgiving with respect to AI, and tinkering around the fringes of a division that was already headed for the dumpster isn’t likely to change that.
From Barron's • Dec. 4, 2025
The next circle is the CDC’s own reputation, which Kennedy has relegated to the dumpster.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
He watched himself try to squeeze behind the dumpster unsuccessfully.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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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.