noun
detritus
dih-TRY-tus/dɪˈtraɪtəs/
Loose remains left by decay or breakdown.
Chips, grit, and dust form a layer of detritus beneath the crumbling rock.
Etymology
The pieces describe wearing away. The word shifted from the process of erosion to the rock fragments it produces, then broadened to debris and waste material generally.
In context
explain something about seeing the unexpected shape sending a ripple of discomfort through me at first i took what i saw to be a massive deposit of seaweed and other detritus of the sea
More examples
- Tiny organisms feed on detritus from decaying plants.
- Rain washes rocky detritus down the eroding hillside.
- She clears the winter's detritus from the garden beds.
Forms
detrital adjective — Made of loose fragments or remains.