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detrition

[ dih-trish-uhn ]
/ dɪˈtrɪʃ ən /
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noun
the act of wearing away by rubbing.
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Origin of detrition

1665–75; <Medieval Latin dētrītiōn- (stem of dētrītiō), equivalent to Latin dētrīt(us) (past participle of dēterere;see detritus) + -iōn--ion

Words nearby detrition

detractor, detrain, detribalize, detriment, detrimental, detrition, detritivore, detritovore, detritus, Detroit, de trop
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use detrition in a sentence

  • Another is the constant repetition of certain words and phrases which have lost their meaning by detrition and are known to all.

    American Sketches|Charles Whibley

  • The "Hole" has been made by the detrition and washing out of the shale and the fall of the overlying rock.

    The Falls of Niagara and Other Famous Cataracts|George W. Holley

  • Nowadays it has become the custom to place these slabs upright against the walls, thus preventing further detrition.

    Donatello|David Lindsay, Earl of Crawford

British Dictionary definitions for detrition

detrition
/ (dɪˈtrɪʃən) /
noun
the act of rubbing or wearing away by friction

Word Origin for detrition

C17: from Medieval Latin dētrītiō, from Latin dētrītus worn 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
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