# Generic word for Dumpster ® ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277 "2005-05-17T18:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/1 "2005-05-17T18:20:47Z")
Dumpster®, also known as dumpster for purposes of taking the symbol out in case it confuses search terms, is a trademarked item. Is there a word that is the generic equivalent, such as in-line skates for Rollerblades®, photocopy for Xerox®, or tissue for Kleenex®? Specifically, an item that functions as a Dumpster® does, and which can differentiated from the average trash can. Please advise. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/2 "2005-05-17T18:25:44Z")
Trash bin. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/3 "2005-05-17T18:26:06Z")
Bart: Otto-Man? You’re living in a dumpster? Otto: Ho, man, I wish. Dumpster-brand trash bins are top-of-the-line. This is just a Trash-Co waste disposal unit. Either “trash bins” or “waste disposal units” appear to be acceptable. According to Otto. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/4 "2005-05-17T19:02:22Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > Dumpster®, also known as dumpster for purposes of taking the symbol out in case it confuses search terms The trademark is “Dumpster.” The registration symbol is not mandatory, and, indeed, is not considered part of what the company has registered as a trademark, so you don’t have to use it if you’re worried about confusing the search function. > [@](#): > > , is a trademarked item. The Dumpster is not a trademarked item. The term “Dumpster” is a trademarked _term_. Things can’t be trademarked. Only terms referring to things can be trademarked. If you find it necessary to indicate its registration status, you can say that “Dumpster” is a registered trademark. trash bin, waste bin waste receptacle You can modify any of the above suggestions with the adjective “large.” ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/5 "2005-05-17T19:22:26Z")
How about “generic Dumpster”? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/6 "2005-05-17T19:35:17Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > If you find it necessary to indicate its registration status… ® Use Alt+0174 For trademark stuff, look here. I do not care. I’m just seeking a term that distinguishes one type of rubbish bin from the rest. “Large” might work. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/7 "2005-05-17T19:37:49Z")
I am pretty damn sure that no one ever uses the term “Trash bin” for a small object that can be carried by one person. Rubbish bin, yes, but not “trash bin” ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/8 "2005-05-17T19:47:20Z")
During a neighborhood cleanup weekend, the city said they would provide refuse containers. I’ve also seen “roll-off container” But really, how many companies make these things? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/9 "2005-05-17T21:20:23Z")
> [@js\_africanusFor trademark stuff](#): > > ([www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/doc/basic/trade\_defin.htm](http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/doc/basic/trade_defin.htm)). Well, following your handy link, I used the P.T.O.'s search function to look up the actual trademark in question and I found that the owner of the mark (strangely enough called “D **e** mpster Bros.”) describes its product as a “container for receiving, transporting, and dumping materials of various kinds–namely, refuse, trash, garbage, scrap, dirct, and rocks.” That description offers a number of possibilities – “large refuse container” sounds good to me. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/10 "2005-05-17T21:46:03Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > For trademark stuff, look here. [url=http://www.inta.org/tmcklst1.htm]INTA[/url (the International Trademark Association) is also your friend. It gives proper styling of hundreds of trademarks, along with the generic terms preferred by the trademark holders. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/11 "2005-05-17T21:47:45Z")
Crap. [INTA](http://www.inta.org/tmcklst1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/12 "2005-05-18T00:01:21Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Crap. [INTA](http://www.inta.org/tmcklst1.htm) And … Inta says – **Dumpster** trash containers, hoisting units ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/13 "2005-05-18T01:14:34Z")
Hobo Hotel? Short Haul Trash Transporter – To the compactor – To the land fill. Sometimes just for storage for compactor to come to it. After all it is just a big metal trash container with hinged lid and maybe doors. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/14 "2005-05-18T02:07:15Z")
**"Short Haul Trash Transporter"** Now if they only had put the word ‘Integrated’ between ‘Trash’ and ‘Haul’, it would have made the ultimate acronym. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/15 "2005-05-18T02:29:17Z")
In England we call it a skip. I do not know why. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/16 "2005-05-18T03:50:19Z")
We call it a skip in Australia as well. I suspect that Skip may be, or have been, a brand name of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/17 "2005-05-18T12:26:37Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > **"Short Haul Trash Transporter"** > Now if they only had put the word ‘Integrated’ between ‘Trash’ and ‘Haul’, it would have made the ultimate acronym. NO, NO! That’s already taken by **Tennessee Institute of Technology!** ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-word-for-dumpster/304277/18 "2005-05-18T13:24:54Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > We call it a skip in Australia as well. I suspect that Skip may be, or have been, a brand name of some sort. I’m pretty sure that “skip” has a specialised meaning for transportation and nautical purposes, but the two online dictionaries I checked (Merriam-Webster and [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com)) and my desk copy of Webster’s New World weren’t enlightening on this point.