flotsam

noun flot·sam \ˈflät-səm\

: floating pieces, parts, etc., from a ship that has been wrecked

Full Definition of FLOTSAM

: floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo; broadly : floating debris

a : a floating population (as of emigrants or castaways) <human flotsam>

b : miscellaneous or unimportant material <a notebook filled with flotsam and jetsam>

c : debris, remains <the village … built on the flotsam of war — Stan Sesser>

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Anglo-French floteson, from floter to float, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English flotian to float, flota ship

First Known Use: circa 1607

Synonyms: ashes, debris, detritus, remains, residue, rubble, ruins, wreck, wreckage

Next Word in the Dictionary: flotterPrevious Word in the Dictionary: flotorialAll Words Near: flotsam

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