compactor

[kuhm-pak-ter, kom-pak-]

noun

1. an appliance that crushes and compresses trash into small convenient bundles.

Word History and Origins

Origin of compactor¹

First recorded in 1945–50; compact ¹ + -or ²

Example Sentences

Even a tiny robot — DG-33, sort of cutesy spin on a trash compactor — has developed some quirks, namely a sassy Southern accent.

From Los Angeles Times

Each garbage compactor — which holds about four tons — was contaminated with medical and hazardous waste, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

If you haven’t yet seen the new and already-infamous Apple ad — the one in which a giant mechanical compactor violently crushes a bunch of musical instruments, books, sculptures, art supplies and toys, turning them into an iPad Pro — then Apple’s executives are probably happy.

From New York Times

In court documents, the plaintiffs allege that Tesla placed hazardous waste into “any trash container, dumpster, or compactor at the facilities” or improperly outsourced the materials to transfer stations and landfills not suited for hazardous waste.

From Los Angeles Times

Nickleberry was one of about 1,300 Black sanitation workers who formed a union and went on strike after two colleagues, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed by a faulty garbage truck compactor as they sought shelter from a rainstorm in the back of the truck on Feb. 1, 1968.

From Seattle Times