detritus Definition

detritus
noun

1. geol.
The product of detrition, the natural process of rubbing or wearing down strata by wind, water or glaciers.
2. biol.
Dead plants or animals, or any debris of living organisms, eg parts that have been shed.
3. Bits and pieces of rubbish left over from something.

Thesaurus: wreckage, remains, debris, junk, litter, fragments, waste, scum.

Derivative: detrital
adj

Etymology: 19c in these senses; 18c, meaning ‘disintegration': from Latin deterere, detritum to rub away.