diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 744b4c70f691a..3509e3dd93445 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -161,8 +161,12 @@ Deprecated or removed
 
   * `scale` is deprecated in favor of either `α*A`, `Diagonal(x)*A`, or `A*Diagonal(x)`. ([#15258])
 
+  * `xdump` is removed, and `dump` now simply shows the full representation of a value.
+    `dump` should not be overloaded, since it is for examining concrete structure ([#4163]).
+
 [PkgDev]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/PkgDev.jl
 <!--- generated by NEWS-update.jl: -->
+[#4163]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/4163
 [#4211]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/4211
 [#8036]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/8036
 [#8846]: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues/8846
diff --git a/base/deprecated.jl b/base/deprecated.jl
index 1bee11aa391af..8cc2004a4ec5e 100644
--- a/base/deprecated.jl
+++ b/base/deprecated.jl
@@ -985,7 +985,6 @@ export call
 # 1933
 @deprecate_binding SingleAsyncWork AsyncCondition
 
-
 # #12872
 @deprecate istext istextmime
 
@@ -1073,6 +1072,9 @@ end
 @deprecate bitunpack(B::BitArray) Array(B)
 @deprecate bitpack(A::AbstractArray) BitArray(A)
 
+# #4163
+@deprecate xdump dump
+
 # During the 0.5 development cycle, do not add any deprecations below this line
 # To be deprecated in 0.6
 
diff --git a/base/docs/helpdb/Base.jl b/base/docs/helpdb/Base.jl
index b941f5969884c..c07d9edf61152 100644
--- a/base/docs/helpdb/Base.jl
+++ b/base/docs/helpdb/Base.jl
@@ -1692,7 +1692,7 @@ split
 """
     dump(x)
 
-Show all user-visible structure of a value.
+Show every part of the representation of a value.
 """
 dump
 
@@ -8867,13 +8867,6 @@ true
 """
 applicable
 
-"""
-    xdump(x)
-
-Show all structure of a value, including all fields of objects.
-"""
-xdump
-
 """
     Base.process_messages(instrm::AsyncStream, outstrm::AsyncStream)
 
diff --git a/base/exports.jl b/base/exports.jl
index 70d3cac5f8083..fb98b94349c2a 100644
--- a/base/exports.jl
+++ b/base/exports.jl
@@ -899,7 +899,6 @@ export
     utf32,
     warn,
     wstring,
-    xdump,
 
 # random numbers
     AbstractRNG,
diff --git a/base/show.jl b/base/show.jl
index e24f5720191f8..1ad6c6abfc951 100644
--- a/base/show.jl
+++ b/base/show.jl
@@ -933,99 +933,115 @@ function show(io::IO, tv::TypeVar)
     end
 end
 
-# dump & xdump - structured tree representation like R's str()
-# - dump is for the user-facing structure
-# - xdump is for the internal structure
-#
-# x is the object
-# n is the depth of traversal in nested types (5 is the default)
-# indent is a character string of spaces that is incremented at
-# each descent.
-#
-# Package writers may overload dump for other nested types like lists
-# or DataFrames. If overloaded, check the nesting level (n), and if
-# n > 0, dump each component. Limit to the first 10 entries. When
-# dumping components, decrement n, and add two spaces to indent.
-#
-# Package writers should not overload xdump.
+function dump(io::IO, x::SimpleVector, n::Int, indent)
+    if isempty(x)
+        print(io, "empty SimpleVector")
+        return
+    end
+    print(io, "SimpleVector")
+    if n > 0
+        for i = 1:length(x)
+            println(io)
+            print(io, indent, "  ", i, ": ")
+            if isassigned(x,i)
+                dump(io, x[i], n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
+            else
+                print(io, undef_ref_str)
+            end
+        end
+    end
+end
 
-function xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x, n::Int, indent)
+function dump(io::IO, x::ANY, n::Int, indent)
     T = typeof(x)
-    print(io, T, " ")
-    if isa(T, DataType) && nfields(T) > 0
-        println(io)
+    if isa(x, Function)
+        print(io, x, " (function of type ", T, ")")
+    else
+        print(io, T)
+    end
+    if nfields(T) > 0
         if n > 0
-            for field in fieldnames(T)
-                if field != symbol("")    # prevents segfault if symbol is blank
-                    print(io, indent, "  ", field, ": ")
-                    if isdefined(x,field)
-                        fn(io, getfield(x, field), n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
-                    else
-                        println(io, undef_ref_str)
-                    end
+            for field in (isa(x,Tuple) ? (1:length(x)) : fieldnames(T))
+                println(io)
+                print(io, indent, "  ", field, ": ")
+                if isdefined(x,field)
+                    dump(io, getfield(x, field), n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
+                else
+                    print(io, undef_ref_str)
                 end
             end
         end
     else
-        println(io, x)
+        !isa(x,Function) && print(io, " ", x)
     end
+    nothing
 end
-function xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Module, n::Int, indent)
-    print(io, Module, " ")
-    println(io, x)
-end
-function xdump_elts(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Array{Any}, n::Int, indent, i0, i1)
+
+dump(io::IO, x::Module, n::Int, indent) = print(io, "Module ", x)
+
+function dump_elts(io::IO, x::Array, n::Int, indent, i0, i1)
     for i in i0:i1
         print(io, indent, "  ", i, ": ")
         if !isdefined(x,i)
-            println(io, undef_ref_str)
+            print(io, undef_ref_str)
         else
-            fn(io, x[i], n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
+            dump(io, x[i], n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
         end
+        i < i1 && println(io)
     end
 end
-function xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Array{Any}, n::Int, indent)
-    println(io, "Array($(eltype(x)),$(size(x)))")
-    if n > 0
-        xdump_elts(fn, io, x, n, indent, 1, (length(x) <= 10 ? length(x) : 5))
-        if length(x) > 10
-            println(io, indent, "  ...")
-            xdump_elts(fn, io, x, n, indent, length(x)-4, length(x))
+
+function dump(io::IO, x::Array, n::Int, indent)
+    print(io, "Array($(eltype(x)),$(size(x)))")
+    if eltype(x) <: Number
+        print(io, " ")
+        show(io, x)
+    else
+        if n > 0 && !isempty(x)
+            println(io)
+            if limit_output(io)
+                dump_elts(io, x, n, indent, 1, (length(x) <= 10 ? length(x) : 5))
+                if length(x) > 10
+                    println(io)
+                    println(io, indent, "  ...")
+                    dump_elts(io, x, n, indent, length(x)-4, length(x))
+                end
+            else
+                dump_elts(io, x, n, indent, 1, length(x))
+            end
         end
     end
 end
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Symbol, n::Int, indent) = println(io, typeof(x), " ", x)
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Function, n::Int, indent) = println(io, x)
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Array, n::Int, indent) =
-               (print(io, "Array($(eltype(x)),$(size(x))) ");
-                show(io, x); println(io))
+dump(io::IO, x::Symbol, n::Int, indent) = print(io, typeof(x), " ", x)
 
 # Types
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::Union, n::Int, indent) = println(io, x)
-function xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::DataType, n::Int, indent)
-    println(io, x, "::", typeof(x), " ", " <: ", supertype(x))
-    fields = fieldnames(x)
-    if n > 0
-        for idx in 1:min(10, length(fields))
-            if fields[idx] != symbol("")    # prevents segfault if symbol is blank
+dump(io::IO, x::Union, n::Int, indent) = print(io, x)
+
+function dump(io::IO, x::DataType, n::Int, indent)
+    print(io, x)
+    if x !== Any
+        print(io, " <: ", supertype(x))
+    end
+    if !(x <: Tuple)
+        fields = fieldnames(x)
+        if n > 0
+            for idx in 1:length(fields)
+                println(io)
                 print(io, indent, "  ", fields[idx], "::")
-                if isa(x.types[idx], DataType)
-                    xdump(fn, io, fieldtype(x,idx), n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
-                else
-                    println(io, fieldtype(x,idx))
-                end
+                #if isa(x.types[idx], DataType)
+                #    xdump(fn, io, fieldtype(x,idx), n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
+                #else
+                    print(io, fieldtype(x,idx))
+                #end
             end
         end
-        if length(fields) > 10
-            println(io, indent, "  ...")
-        end
     end
 end
 
 # dumptype is for displaying abstract type hierarchies like Jameson
 # Nash's wiki page: https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/wiki/Types-Hierarchy
 
-function dumptype(io::IO, x, n::Int, indent)
+function dumptype(io::IO, x::ANY, n::Int, indent)
     # based on Jameson Nash's examples/typetree.jl
     println(io, x)
     if n == 0   # too deeply nested
@@ -1066,50 +1082,12 @@ end
 
 # For abstract types, use _dumptype only if it's a form that will be called
 # interactively.
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::DataType) = x.abstract ? dumptype(io, x, 5, "") : xdump(fn, io, x, 5, "")
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x::DataType, n::Int) = x.abstract ? dumptype(io, x, n, "") : xdump(fn, io, x, n, "")
-
-# defaults:
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x) = xdump(xdump, io, x, 5, "")  # default is 5 levels
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, x, n::Int) = xdump(xdump, io, x, n, "")
-xdump(fn::Function, io::IO, args...) = throw(ArgumentError("invalid arguments to xdump"))
-xdump(fn::Function, args...) = xdump(fn, STDOUT::IO, args...)
-xdump(io::IO, args...) = xdump(xdump, io, args...)
-xdump(args...) = xdump(xdump, IOContext(STDOUT::IO, :limit_output => true), args...)
-xdump(arg::IO) = xdump(xdump, STDOUT::IO, arg)
-
-# Here are methods specifically for dump:
-dump(io::IO, x, n::Int) = dump(io, x, n, "")
-dump(io::IO, x) = dump(io, x, 5, "")  # default is 5 levels
-dump(io::IO, x::AbstractString, n::Int, indent) =
-               (print(io, typeof(x), " ");
-                show(io, x); println(io))
-dump(io::IO, x, n::Int, indent) = xdump(dump, io, x, n, indent)
-dump(io::IO, args...) = throw(ArgumentError("invalid arguments to dump"))
-dump(arg::IO) = xdump(dump, STDOUT::IO, arg)
-dump(args...) = dump(IOContext(STDOUT::IO, :limit_output => true), args...)
-
-function dump(io::IO, x::Dict, n::Int, indent)
-    println(io, typeof(x), " len ", length(x))
-    if n > 0
-        i = 1
-        for (k,v) in x
-            print(io, indent, "  ", k, ": ")
-            dump(io, v, n - 1, string(indent, "  "))
-            if i > 10
-                println(io, indent, "  ...")
-                break
-            end
-            i += 1
-        end
-    end
-end
+dflt_io() = IOContext(STDOUT::IO, :limit_output => true)
+dump(io::IO, x::DataType; maxdepth=8) = (x.abstract ? dumptype : dump)(io, x, maxdepth, "")
+dump(x::DataType; maxdepth=8) = (x.abstract ? dumptype : dump)(dflt_io(), x, maxdepth, "")
 
-# More generic representation for common types:
-dump(io::IO, x::DataType, n::Int, indent) = println(io, x.name)
-dump(io::IO, x::DataType, n::Int) = dump(io, x, n, "")
-dump(io::IO, x::DataType) = dump(io, x, 5, "")
-dump(io::IO, x::TypeVar, n::Int, indent) = println(io, x.name)
+dump(io::IO, arg; maxdepth=8) = dump(io, arg, maxdepth, "")
+dump(arg; maxdepth=8) = dump(dflt_io(), arg, maxdepth, "")
 
 
 """
diff --git a/test/show.jl b/test/show.jl
index 56d29e132b98c..0175099923833 100644
--- a/test/show.jl
+++ b/test/show.jl
@@ -279,7 +279,6 @@ oldout = STDOUT
 try
     rd, wr = redirect_stdout()
     @test dump(STDERR) == nothing
-    @test xdump(STDERR) == nothing
 finally
     redirect_stdout(oldout)
 end