English word origin

Etymology of dump

From Middle English dumpen, dompen, probably from Old Norse dumpa (“to thump”) (whence Danish dumpe (“to fall suddenly”)), of uncertain origin, possibly imitative of falling, similar to thump.

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A place where waste or garbage is left; a ground or place for dumping ashes, refuse, etc.; a disposal site. · A car or boat for dumping refuse, etc. · That which is dumped, especially in a chaotic way; a mess. · A disorganized collection of images posted on social media.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentiondumpenenm
Derivation mentiondumpanon · to thump
Cognate mentiondumpeda · to fall suddenly

This page abbreviates 12 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "dumpen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English dumpen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "dumpa",
        "t": "to thump"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse dumpa (“to thump”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "dumpe",
        "t": "to fall suddenly"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish dumpe (“to fall suddenly”)"
    },
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      "dumpa#Old_Norse"
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        "A place where waste or garbage is left; a ground or place for dumping ashes, refuse, etc.; a disposal site.",
        "A car or boat for dumping refuse, etc.",
        "That which is dumped, especially in a chaotic way; a mess.",
        "A disorganized collection of images posted on social media."
      ],
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        "Internet"
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To release, especially in large quantities and chaotic manner. · To discard; to get rid of something one no longer wants. · To sell below cost or very cheaply; to engage in dumping. · To copy (data) from a system to another place or system, usually in order to archive it.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentiondumpenenm
Derivation mentiondumpanon · to thump
Cognate mentiondumpeda · to fall suddenly

This page abbreviates 6 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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        "3": "dumpa",
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      "lang_code": "fr",
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        "To release, especially in large quantities and chaotic manner.",
        "To discard; to get rid of something one no longer wants.",
        "To sell below cost or very cheaply; to engage in dumping.",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A thick, ill-shapen piece. · A lead counter used in the game of chuck-farthing.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See dumpling.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A deep hole in a river bed; a pool.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Cognate with Scots dump (“hole in the ground”), Norwegian dump (“a depression or hole in the ground”), German Low German dumpen (“to submerge”), Dutch dompen (“to dip, sink, submerge”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Cognate mentiondumpsco · hole in the ground
Cognate mentiondumpno · a depression or hole in the ground
Cognate mentiondompennl · to dip, sink, submerge

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dump →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZHVtcA