dumpster

or Dump·ster

[ duhmp-ster ]

noun

1. a large metal or plastic bin for refuse designed to be hoisted onto a specially equipped truck for emptying or hauling away.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dumpster¹

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

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

From Salon

Spectators had overflowed the shopping center’s parking lot, turning into a one-way street, obstructing access to fire lanes and Dumpsters and trapping vehicles that were already parked, she said.

From Los Angeles Times

As in every match in the series, the Dumpster Battle uses imaginative visual metaphors to depict each team’s offensive and defensive strategies and overall playing philosophies.

From New York Times

He was already stepping up onto a box to reach the top of the Dumpster.

From Literature

If not, this visit to Madison Square Garden will be remembered not as the start of the championship run they envisioned, but as the start of the Clippers’ latest Dumpster fire.

From Los Angeles Times