1
: the part of a ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is cast overboard to lighten the load in time of distress and that sinks or is washed ashore
2
Examples of jetsam in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Full of the flotsam and jetsam of everyday affairs.
—
Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 July 2024
Luke called the vultures back and reshot the scene with the jetsam of pestilence.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023
The barge carried acoustic equipment and was festooned with fluorescent light sticks and suspended jetsam that clinked and chimed.
—Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
For Kevin Nunez and his son Nathan, Native Americans who have long family history locked within the rugged and geologically active mountains, volunteering to help remove the flotsam and jetsam of tourists is a solemn duty.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023
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“Jetsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jetsam. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
jetsam
noun
jet·sam
ˈjet-səm 
: goods thrown overboard to lighten a ship in distress
especially
: such goods when washed ashore
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