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

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 • Mar. 18, 2022

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 • Oct. 20, 2020

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but technically, detritivores have a stomach: They ingest and digest dead matter, and decomposers don’t.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2018

Cersei ends up committing to a selfish course of action in the end anyway, because what does an army of dead matter when there’s legacy on the line?

From Salon • Aug. 28, 2017

The cold, dead matter of the stars would decay away, leaving nothing but a smear of radiation that spreads equally throughout the universe.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife