detritus

noun

de·​tri·​tus di-ˈtrī-təs 

plural detritus di-ˈtrī-təs 

-ˈtrī-ˌtüs

1

geology : loose material (such as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration

2

a

: a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away : debris

b

: miscellaneous remnants : odds and ends

still picking up detritus from the block party

… sifting through the detritus of his childhood …

—Michael Tomasky

detrital

di-ˈtrī-tᵊl 

adjective

Did you know?

If you use detritus in speech, remember to stress the second syllable, as you do in the words arthritis and bronchitis. Once you've mastered its meaning and pronunciation, you’ll find that detritus is a term—originally a geology term referring to loose material, such as broken rock fragments, resulting from disintegration—that can be applied in many situations. After the first hard freeze of fall, gardens are littered with the detritus of summer’s plants and produce: stalks, leaves, vines, and maybe even an abandoned hand trowel. As a flood-swollen river retreats to its banks, it leaves detritus—debris gathered by the raging waters—in its wake. The detritus of civilization may include junkyards and abandoned buildings, while mental detritus may include all kinds of useless trivia. (We’re not saying it qualifies as such, but detritus comes from the Latin root deterere, meaning “to wear away, impair.”)

Did you know?

How Do You Pronounce detritus?

After the first hard freeze of fall, gardens are sadly littered with the detritus of the summer's plants and produce: stalks, leaves, vines, rotted vegetables, and maybe even a hand trowel left behind. As the flooding Mississippi River retreats back to its ordinary course, it leaves detritus behind in its wake, debris gathered from everywhere by the raging waters. The detritus of civilization may include junkyards and abandoned buildings; mental detritus may include all kinds of useless trivia. Notice how this word is pronounced; for some reason, people often try to accent the first syllable rather than the second.

Synonyms

• ashes
• debris
• flotsam
• remains
• residue
• rubble
• ruins
• wreck
• wreckage

Examples of detritus in a Sentence

the detritus of ancient civilizations

As he packed, he sifted through the detritus of a failed relationship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Larger bits of detritus, like empty potting soil bags, can be thrown in the trash, while bits of cotton twine and other biodegradable items can be composted. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024

Photos pinned to Google Maps from years past show this bridge as a dark round tunnel, slick from mud and moisture, with clumps of unidentifiable detritus scattered along its length. —Elizabeth Friend, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2024

As matter falls toward its demise in a black hole, some of that dense detritus heats up, encounters the black hole’s magnetic field and, as a result, escapes its gravitational leash as intense outbursts of light and particles. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024

Eight hours a day, Hampton, Briggs and her dogs paddled downstream, picking through the river’s tributaries and storm detritus, as the cadaver dogs perched on the raft’s bow, following scents. —Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French détritus, borrowed from Latin dētrītus, past participle of dēterere "to wear away, impair," from dē- de- + terere "to rub, grind, wear down" — more at trite

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

detritus

noun

de·​tri·​tus di-ˈtrīt-əs 

plural detritus

-ˈtrīt-əs,

-ˈtrī-tüs

1

: loose material that results directly from the natural breaking up of rocks

2

: a product of disintegration or wearing away

Medical Definition

detritus

noun

de·​tri·​tus di-ˈtrīt-əs 

plural detritus -ˈtrīt-əs  -ˈtrī-ˌtüs 

: loose material resulting from disintegration (as of tissue)