English
Etymology
From Latin: pieces worn away
Pronunciation
audio|en-us-detritus.ogg|Audio (US)
Noun
wikipedia
detritus (uncountable)
- mainly geological: pieces of rock broken off by ice, glacier, or erosion
- In biology, detritus is organic waste material from decomposing dead plants or animals.
- debris or fragments of disintegrated material
#* Many birds use detritus to build their nests.
#:2001. "But of course: no clutter. No newspapers, no renegade scraps of domestic detritus, no rubber bands, paper clips, coupons, pens or pencils, notebooks, magazines. No knives. Where were the knives?" — Chip Kidd. The Cheese Monkeys
- flotsam and jetsam
Derived terms
detritivore
Category:Geology
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