dumpster

American  

[duhmp-ster] / ˈdʌmp stər /

Or Dumpster

noun

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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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

May 7 Dark humor means something different to a woman who narrowly escaped being thrown in the dumpster as a baby.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 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

In Darnold’s case, that fire was the dumpster blaze known as the New York Jets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Three feet long, it slid down the side of the dumpster and began darting from side to side.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda