dead matter

American  

noun

Printing.

1. type that has been set and used for printing or platemaking and is of no further use.

2. foul matter.

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Etymology

Origin of dead matter

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

“But we should continue to request that healthy live vegetation be permissible if it’s not likely to be ignited by embers, so it’s not lumped in with plants that accumulate dead wood like junipers and cypress trees that always have accumulated dead matter in them.”

From Los Angeles Times

The model for her interactive “Symbiotica” is mycelium, a fungus that plays a crucial role in decomposing dead matter, in the process yielding nitrogen that forms the bulk of Earth’s atmosphere.

From Washington Post

Among them are several yards of fungal filaments that convert dead matter to biomass, or attach to plant roots to boost their nutrient uptake; up to a billion bacteria that convert nitrogen gas into compounds that "feed" those plants and other organisms; a few dozen nematodes and a few thousand protozoa that keep bacterial populations in check, mineralize nutrients and protect plants from pathogens.

From Salon

It is, to say the least, a land of contradictions – one where the life above ground was built almost entirely from the dead matter below it.

From The Guardian

“The fact that space near us seems dead now tells us that any given piece of dead matter faces an astronomically low chance of begetting such a future,” Dr. Hanson wrote.

From New York Times