detrition

[ dih-trish-uhn ]

noun
  1. the act of wearing away by rubbing.

Origin of detrition

1
1665–75; <Medieval Latin dētrītiōn- (stem of dētrītiō), equivalent to Latin dētrīt(us) (past participle of dēterere;see detritus) + -iōn--ion

Words Nearby detrition

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use detrition in a sentence

  • Another is the constant repetition of certain words and phrases which have lost their meaning by detrition and are known to all.

    American Sketches | Charles Whibley
  • The "Hole" has been made by the detrition and washing out of the shale and the fall of the overlying rock.

  • Nowadays it has become the custom to place these slabs upright against the walls, thus preventing further detrition.

    Donatello | David Lindsay, Earl of Crawford

British Dictionary definitions for detrition

detrition

/ (dɪˈtrɪʃən) /


noun
  1. the act of rubbing or wearing away by friction

Origin of detrition

1
C17: from Medieval Latin dētrītiō, from Latin dētrītus worn away; see detriment

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012