dumpster diving

or Dumpster diving

noun

1. the practice of foraging in garbage that has been put out on the street in dumpsters, garbage cans, etc., for discarded items that may still be valuable, useful, or fixable.

dumpster diving

/ ˈdʌmpstə /

noun

1. the practice of searching through dustbins for discarded but still usable or valuable objects such as food or clothes

Word History and Origins

Origin of dumpster diving¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Micah asks one of her dumpster-diving friends, who scored a load of meat too big for any of them to finish.

From The Daily Beast

From her Dumpster diving to her bombed ‘Annie’ audition and ‘Rehab’ inspiration, read the best bits.

From The Daily Beast

In contemporary post-agricultural society, dumpster diving has emerged as a modern version of this practice.

From The Daily Beast

Discover a secret gadget on your next Silicon Valley dumpster-diving expedition?

From The Daily Beast

He has dinner with a woman, then he takes her dumpster diving and comes home and goes to bed.

From Project Gutenberg