dumpster diving

Or Dumpster diving

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

For the locals who couldn’t afford one of his instruments, dumpster diving to obtain a guitar was frequent and critical.

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The research team went through a process they called "dumpster diving" to find these natural antibiotics.

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Any casual fan knows the Dodgers cleaned up this offseason while the Angels mostly engaged in dumpster diving.

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Dumpster diving: Despite the rise of digital theft, some identity thieves still resort to traditional methods like rummaging through discarded documents for sensitive information.

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Easily available food from avian "dumpster diving," especially at fast-food restaurants, can prove lethal to the birds due to high quantities of salt, fat, sugar, grease and contaminants.

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