Skip to content

The word for today is…

detritus (noun):

1 geology : loose material (such as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration
2a: a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away : debris
b: miscellaneous remnants : odds and ends

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : 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 autumn, 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.”)

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

The Good Oil Daily Opinion Poll

The Good Oil Daily Opinion Poll

Take our Daily Opinion Poll and see how your views compare to other readers and then share the poll on social media. By sharing the poll you will help even more readers to discover The Good Oil.

Members Public
The India FTA

The India FTA

My nose tells me something stinks. Why India locked the milk out – and why Wellington did not count it the same way.

Members Public