flot ‧ sam /ˈflɒts ə m $ ˈflɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Anglo-French ; Origin: floteson , from Old French floter 'to float' ]
1 . broken pieces of wood and other things from a wrecked ship, floating in the sea or scattered on the shore:
He would walk along the beach collecting the flotsam and jetsam that had been washed ashore.
2 . things that people no longer want and so throw away:
works of art made from the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life
3 . people who are very poor and do not have jobs or homes:
Camps were set up to shelter the flotsam and jetsam of the war.