dross

American  

[draws, dros] / drɔs, drɒs /

noun

1. waste matter; refuse.

2. Metallurgy.  a waste product taken off molten metal during smelting, essentially metallic in character.

3. British.  coal of little value.

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dross British  

/ drɒs /

noun

1. the scum formed, usually by oxidation, on the surfaces of molten metals

2. worthless matter; waste

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Other Word Forms

• drossiness noun
• drossy adjective

Etymology

Origin of dross

before 1050; Middle English dros ( se ), Old English drōs; cognate with Middle Dutch droes dregs; compare Middle English drōsen, Old English drōsna; cognate with Middle High German truosen husks

Example Sentences

But there has also been a good deal of commercial dross.

From Los Angeles Times

Last time around, when Gerrard took over from the hapless Pedro Caixinha, he could throw out the dross and start again, but it cost a lot of cash and it plunged Rangers into financial challenges.

From BBC

All was constant churn and movement; there was considerable dross, but also genuine, spontaneous creativity.

From Salon

As I’ve written before, the concentration of wealth in America has reached levels that make the gilt of the 19th century Gilded Age look like dross.

From Los Angeles Times

West Indies moved ahead, Root was asked to bowl some off-spin dross into the pads of Da Silva, who swept three fours and hit a six over long-on.

From BBC