Loose material such as straw, wood, or rope used to protect cargo and fill spaces in a ship or truck during transport.
Origin obscure, possibly from 'dun' (a dull color) or from Malay 'doonga' (a cushion). First recorded in English in the 16th century in maritime contexts, suggesting seafaring origins.
Before modern cushioning and packaging, ships used dunnage (old rope, wood scraps, even seaweed) to keep cargo from shifting—when archaeologists excavate shipwrecks, the dunnage often preserves ancient organic materials perfectly.
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