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View synonyms for detritus

detritus

[ dih-trahy-tuhs ]

noun

  1. rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.
  2. any disintegrated material; debris.


detritus

/ dɪˈtraɪtəs /

noun

  1. a loose mass of stones, silt, etc, worn away from rocks
  2. an accumulation of disintegrated material or debris
  3. the organic debris formed from the decay of organisms
“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


detritus

/ dĭ-trītəs /

  1. Loose fragments, such as sand or gravel, that have been worn away from rock.
  2. Matter produced by the decay or disintegration of an organic substance.


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Derived Forms

  • deˈtrital, adjective
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Other Words From

  • de·trital adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of detritus1

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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of detritus1

C18: from French détritus, from Latin dētrītus a rubbing away; see detriment
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Example Sentences

Behind those dogs sat grills and bikes and busted washing machines, the regular detritus of life, along with car-sized mounds of one-gallon plastic water bottles.

Martin recommends gathering fallen leaves and other detritus that drop from other plants in your yard, to keep them from smothering your moss.

That detritus can become trapped within the diamonds, becoming features called inclusions.

He sits in a corner, surrounded by common cards and detritus.

Some immunologists hypothesize that the vaccines might be able to eliminate any remaining virus or viral detritus.

Perhaps Pappy fans are so insatiable that they even want the detritus of their favorite tot.

Among the garbage was the typical detritus of public gatherings: water bottles, soda cans, candy wrappers.

Crown emerges from the bedroom with a pair of flat black slacks, the cloudy detritus of afterbirth splayed across the seat.

Indeed, they are viewed both as carpet-bagging intruders and low-caste detritus.

Her fantastical accumulations of detritus and throwaway goods can seem to pack more whimsy than wallop.

Near the coast line the effect of the waves is continually to shove the detritus up the slopes of the continental shelf.

The agents which assist gravitation in bearing this detritus downward are many, but they all work together for the same end.

If by chance the detritus accumulates rapidly, the slope is steepened and the work of the torrent made more efficient.

Further study will reveal the fact that the difference is due to the lack of oxidation in the case of the glacial detritus.

Often they were found in backwaters and many times schools were taken over bottoms where mud and detritus had been deposited.

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