-rīd.əs, -ītəs noun
( plural detritus )
Etymology: French détritus, from Latin detritus, past participle of deterere
1. : loose material that results directly from rock disintegration or abrasion especially when composed of rock fragments
2. : a product of disintegration or wearing away : fragment or fragmentary material
the detritus of a conflagration
ballads formed from the detritus of an old epic poem
a detritus of broken-down bodily tissue