detritus

[ dih-trahy-tuh s ]

/ dɪˈtraɪ təs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR detritus ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

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

Related formsde·tri·tal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for detritus

Perhaps Pappy fans are so insatiable that they even want the detritus of their favorite tot.
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle|Eric Felten|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her fantastical accumulations of detritus and throwaway goods can seem to pack more whimsy than wallop.
America Swamped by Its Plenty|Blake Gopnik|May 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And then she came up with the idea of asking him to fiddle with his collection of detritus.
Tacita Dean’s ‘Five Americans’ Captures a Quiet Brilliance|Blake Gopnik|May 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The artist is drinking beer, smoking and the detritus is building up around him.
The Biennale's Best|Paul Laster, Bettina Von Hase|June 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST

The soil bears less the character of detritus, and more that of alluvium, than that seen above.
Along Alaska's Great River|Frederick Schwatka
Various fragments of stalactites and stalagmites were found as part of the detritus.
Archeological Investigations|Gerard Fowke
How I envied the rabbits overhead, who occasionally dislodged the detritus of rock, which fell upon me.
Jethou|E. R. Suffling
The effect of this action is immensely to increase the amount of detritus which the streams convey to the sea.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
The Staphylinid live in the carcases of animals, on manure, in detritus, and attack living insects.
The Insect World|Louis Figuier

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 Formsdetrital, adjective

Word 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

Word Origin and History for detritus

detritus

1795, "process of erosion," from Latin detritus "a wearing away," from detri-, stem of detere "wear away" (see detriment). Geological sense of "matter produced by erosion" is 1802, probably from French detritus; incorrect, in any case.

Medicine definitions for detritus