noun
Etymology
Origin of driftwood
Explanation
Those smooth sticks and logs you see washed up on the beach are known as driftwood. They've been worn by the motion of the water over time. You can find driftwood on the shore of oceans, lakes, and rivers, where it's been tossed by the tide or blown by the wind. While driftwood is officially a type of debris or trash, it's often quite lovely, smoothed into interesting shapes by the water. Driftwood can originate from shipwrecks, rotted pilings, or trees that have been washed into the sea by storms. As it decomposes, beached ocean driftwood often forms the foundation of sand dunes.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Soldiers and police had helped clear the debris and driftwood.
From Barron's ● Dec. 25, 2025
In the midst of this waits Moonstone Beach, often strewn with driftwood, and Moonstone Beach Drive, which is lined by about a dozen inns and boutique hotels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2025
"Coming into a world where you are not as accepted, you are a bit like driftwood," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2024
Spend your day exploring tide pools and your evening around a driftwood fire.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
He lay like a log of driftwood in the hut by the firepit all that day and night.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
