"place where refuse is dumped, pile or heap of refuse matter," 1865, originally of mining operations, from dump (v.). In reference to sites for discarding domestic trash by 1872. Dumping-ground is by 1857. Meaning "any shabby place" is from 1899. Military sense of "collection of ammunition, equipment, etc. deposited in a convenient place for later use" is by 1915. Meaning "act of defecating" is from 1942. Dump-truck is from 1930.
early 14c., "throw down or fall with force, drop (something or someone) suddenly," not found in Old English, perhaps from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish dumpe "fall hard," Norwegian dumpa "to fall suddenly," Old Norse dumpa "to beat").
The sense of "unload en masse, cause to fall out by tilting up a cart, etc." is recorded in American English by 1784. That of "discard, abandon" is from 1919. Economics sense of "export or throw on the market in large quantities at low prices" is by 1868. Related: Dumped; dumping. Dumping ground is by 1842.
c. 1400, robous, "waste, broken, or worn-out material," especially "rubble from the demolition of a building, etc.," from Anglo-French rubouses (late 14c.), a word of unknown origin. There are said to be no apparent cognates in Old French; OED says "app. related in some way to rubble."
The spelling with -ish is from late 15c. As "any useless or worthless stuff" by c. 1600. The verb sense of "disparage, criticize harshly" is attested by 1953 in Australian and New Zealand slang. Related: Rubbished; rubbishing.
"mass of boiled paste," also "a wrapping in which something is boiled," c. 1600, Norfolk dialect, of uncertain origin, perhaps from some Low German word or from noun dump "lump" (late 18c.). Related: Dumplings.
