detritus

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“
Whenever the surface of the underlying rock has been exposed by the removal of the superficial detritus, a polished and furrowed surface is seen, like that underneath a glacier, the direction of the furrows being from north-west to south-east, or corresponding to the course of the large erratics.

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Definitions (10)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun Loose fragments or grains that have been worn away from rock.
  2. noun Disintegrated or eroded matter: the detritus of past civilizations.
  3. noun Accumulated material; debris: "Poems, engravings, press releases—he eagerly scrutinizes the detritus of fame” (Carlin Romano).

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Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • If they should prove sufficient to do the work of dung beetles and flies on our Terran-style detritus, agronomy will be off to a good start. —  Dragons Dawn
  • Any space between the vehicles had been filled with detritus--tennis rackets, bungee cords, chicken wire, toilets, computers--forming a solid wall. —  Aeon Five
  • Thanks to the many investigators who send us tips and detritus, and special thanks to whoever nominated us. —  Improbable Research
  • At the same time the particles suspended in the water (microorganisms, detritus, algae) are stuck to the gill filaments by the mucous that is secreted by the gills. —  Featured Articles - Encyclopedia of Earth
  • Slumdog Millionaire, landscapes of seething deprivation where the destitute dwell on detritus are now prime destinations for enterprising tour operators banking on a 21st-century confluence of glad-it's-not-me gloating, genuine sympathy, and whatever it was that made our ancestors clamor to watch public hangings and circus freaks. —  The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French détritus, from Latin dētrītus, from past participle of dēterere, to lessen, wear away; see detriment.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Latin detritus, a rubbing away, from deterere, past participle detritus, rub away: see detrite.
 

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/dəˈtraɪtəs/
by Erin McKean
by American Heritage

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