detrital
|de-trit-al|
/dɪˈtraɪtəl/
made of worn-away fragments
Etymology
'detrital' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'detritus' (past participle of 'deterere'), where 'de-' meant 'away' or 'off' and 'terere' meant 'to rub' (hence 'rubbed away').
'detrital' was formed in modern English from the Late Latin word 'detritus' (meaning 'worn away material') via scientific/technical usage in geology and biology, entering English in the 18th–19th centuries as 'detritus' and then adjectivized to 'detrital'.
Initially, related to the action 'rubbed away' or 'worn away' (the Latin sense); over time it came to denote the loose material produced by that process and now means 'pertaining to or composed of such loose fragments'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
consisting of, relating to, or formed from detritus: loose fragments or particles produced by physical weathering, abrasion, or biological breakdown.
Detrital sediments accumulated at the mouth of the river after the flood.
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Adjective 2
(Ecology) Composed of or derived from organic detritus (decaying plant or animal material).
Many detrital feeders, such as certain worms and crustaceans, help recycle nutrients in benthic environments.
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Last updated: 2025/10/17 03:55