nurdle

American  

[nurd-uhl] / ˈnɜrd əl /

noun

plural

nurdles

1. a tiny ball or pellet of unprocessed plastic, especially in the context of water or shoreline pollution.

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verb

1. Cricket. to hit (the ball) gently into areas of the field not occupied by the fielding team, typically as a way of earning single runs.

verb (used without object)

nurdled, nurdling

1. to ramble musingly or speculatively on a particular topic, especially a topic one is relatively ignorant about.

Example Sentences

While an environmental disaster from the jet fuel spillage was averted, the coastguard undertook a clean-up operation after discovering clumps of plastic pellets, or nurdles, in the sea and washed ashore.

From Barron's

So far, hundreds of millions of nurdles may have been cleared away - but the remaining, lentil-sized microplastic granules have become increasingly difficult to find as they disappear deeper into the sand.

From BBC

According to conservation groups, the nurdles are not toxic but can have a devastating impact on animals if they are eaten.

From BBC

Burnt tiny plastic pellets, known as nurdles, have been washed up along the east coast in the aftermath of the collision.

From BBC

Clumps of tiny, molten pellets, known as "nurdles", are being washed up on its beaches, including in Skegness.

From BBC