DETRITUS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does detritus mean? 

• DETRITUS (noun)
  The noun DETRITUS has 2 senses:

1. the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

2. loose material (stone fragments and silt etc) that is worn away from rocks

  Familiarity information: DETRITUS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DETRITUS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

debris; detritus; dust; junk; rubble

Hypernyms ("detritus" is a kind of...):

rubbish; scrap; trash (worthless material that is to be disposed of)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "detritus"):

slack (dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Loose material (stone fragments and silt etc) that is worn away from rocks

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("detritus" is a kind of...):

material; stuff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)

 Context examples 

The sprawling patch of detritus, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, contains nearly 80,000 tons of plastic, a study released Thursday found.

(Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch Growing Rapidly, Study Finds, VOA)