Müll

Müll is a German noun meaning garbage, rubbish, or waste. It denotes material discarded after use and is a common term in households, businesses, and municipalities. In everyday language, Müll refers to household trash and similar refuse; in more formal contexts, Abfall is often used as a broader term. Typical compounds include Mülltonne (garbage can), Müllabfuhr (garbage collection), Mülltrennung (waste separation), and Straßenmüll (street litter).

The word Müll is of German origin and is widely used across German-speaking countries. It is written with an umlaut in standard German, and in contexts where umlauts are not available, it is commonly rendered as Muell. Related vocabulary includes Abfall, Restmüll (residual waste), Gelber Sack (yellow bag for packaging), and Recycling.

Müll is also a surname in German-speaking regions. As a family name, it occurs independently of the noun and may appear with or without the umlaut depending on orthographic conventions. The surname is typically less common than Müller, the more common form stemming from the occupation “miller,” but it is found in various German-speaking communities and can be encountered in historical and contemporary records.

In summary, Müll serves as the everyday German word for waste, while also functioning as a surname. Its use as a noun is central to discussions of waste management and domestic life, and its orthographic variant Muell appears in contexts without umlauts.