detritus
[ dih-trahy-tuhs ]
/ dɪˈtraɪ təs /
Save This Word!
noun
rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.
any disintegrated material; debris.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of detritus
1785–95; <French détritus<Latin: a rubbing away, equivalent to dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere to wear down, rub off (de-de- + terere to rub) + -tus suffix of v. action
OTHER WORDS FROM detritus
de·tri·tal, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use detritus in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for detritus
detritus
/ (dɪˈtraɪtəs) /
noun
a loose mass of stones, silt, etc, worn away from rocks
an accumulation of disintegrated material or debris
the organic debris formed from the decay of organisms
Derived forms of detritus
detrital, adjectiveWord Origin for detritus
C18: from French détritus, from Latin dētrītus a rubbing away; see detriment
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for detritus
detritus
[ dĭ-trī′təs ]
Loose fragments, such as sand or gravel, that have been worn away from rock.
Matter produced by the decay or disintegration of an organic substance.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.