dump-truck

A large yellow dump-truck carries a load of dirt at a construction site.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A vehicle for transporting loose materials: A "dump-truck" is a truck with a body that can be tilted to unload its cargo (such as sand, gravel, or debris) through a tailgate or opening at the rear. It is commonly used in construction, mining, and waste management.
   • A specific type of heavy equipment: In industrial contexts, a "dump-truck" refers to a large, powerful vehicle designed for off-road hauling of bulk materials, often with a hydraulic lifting mechanism.

Usage Examples

• (A vehicle for transporting loose materials.)
• (A truck used for unloading waste.)

Advanced Usage

• "to operate a dump-truck": to drive and control the vehicle's dumping mechanism.

  • The worker was trained to operate the dump-truck safely. (To manage the truck's loading and unloading functions.)

• "dump-truck load": a full cargo of material carried by such a truck.

  • They ordered a dump-truck load of gravel for the driveway. (A quantity equivalent to the truck's capacity.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dump (n): a site for disposing of waste; also, a verb meaning to unload or discard.

  • They took the trash to the dump. (A waste disposal site.)

• Truck (n): a motor vehicle for transporting goods.

  • The dump-truck is a specialised type of truck. (A general category of vehicle.)

Synonyms

• Tipper truck: a British English term for a dump-truck, especially one with a tilting bed.
• Dumper: a smaller, often off-road vehicle used for short-distance hauling, similar to a dump-truck.

Related Idioms

• "like a dump-truck": (informal) describing something that unloads or releases abruptly or in large quantities.
  • He talks like a dump-truck — once he starts, he dumps everything out at once. (He speaks without restraint.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Dump out: to empty the contents of a container, especially a dump-truck.
  • They had to dump out the gravel before the rain started. (To unload the cargo.)