n.
Pronunciation: di- ' tr ī -t ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural de · tri · tus \ - ' tr ī -t ə s, - ' tr ī - ˌ tüs \
Etymology: French détritus, from Latin detritus, past participle of deterere
Date: 1802
1 : loose material (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 <sifting through the detritus of his childhood ― Michael Tomasky>
– de · tri · tal \ - ' tr ī -t ə l \ adjective