trit-

Any compound applied to machinery to resist the effects of friction; as black lead mixed with grease, peroxide of iron, etc.: Sam, the mechanic, applied a thick layer of antiattrition to the axle of the vehicle in order to prevent the loud grinding sound when it was moving.

1. Worn by rubbing: Jason noticed that the tire on the car was attrited due to rubbing on the fender.
2. To reduce or to make smaller because of a loss of something or someone: The economic planning department anticipated that the staff would attrite over the year resulting in fewer members on the payroll.
3. To feel or say one is sorry for a behavior out of fear of punishment: Carla was attriting to her mother because she spilled the cat's dish of food.

1. The action or process of chafing one thing against another; mutual friction: The wind caused the attrition of the branches in the tree.
2. An abrading away, wearing or grinding down, by friction: The attrition of water on rocks by the ocean often results in their being worn down and becoming smooth.
3. In military applications, the gradual wearing away of morale and the powers of resistance by persistent attacks: General Smith ordered a gradual process of attrition against the enemy in order to exhaust and wear them down.
4. In the workplace, the gradual reduction of the size of a workforce by not replacing personnel lost through retirement or resignation: The Personnel Department at Sandra's company charted the attrition of employees.

The disintegration and decomposition of once-living organisms: Biodetritus includes such elements as phytodetritus or zoodetritus, depending on whether the original organism was vegetable or animal.

Biodetritus involves matter that is produced by or which remains after the wearing away or disintegration of tissue or other substances from the living organisms.

1. Conscience-stricken, sorrowful, regretful, and repentant: The clerk's contrite manner made it easy to forgive him for making a mistake by charging too much for the shoes on the sales slip.
2. Crushed or broken in spirit by a sense of sin, and so brought to complete penitence: Grace, the contrite member of the church, confessed to her minister about the sinful act that she had committed when she stole a book from the library.
3. Etymology: from Latin contritus; literally, "worn out, ground to pieces", past participle of Latin conterere, "to grind"; from com-, "together" + terere, "to rub".

Literally, bruised, crushed; worn, or broken by rubbing.

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1. Sincerely penitent or feeling regret or sorrow, especially for one's own actions; apologetic: Peter contritely begged his mother's forgiveness for his accidentally breaking one of her precious tea cups.
2. Done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse: The student's apology was contritely uttered because Zeb was truly sorry for cheating on his final examination.
3. Deeply ashamed of past evils and determined not to do wrong in the future: One of the expectations of her church was that Wendy would speak contritely with the pastor, being sincere as she promises not to do vile things in the future.

1. A strong feeling of rue and misery; especially, a sadness that is associated with some wrong which was done or for some great disappointment: Olive was a piano student who always developed a strong level of contriteness when she did not practice three times a day.
2. A lamentation for sins that have been committed which sometimes comes from a fear of eternal damnation: Sanchez expressed deep contriteness to the leader of his church for the harm he had caused other members of his family.

1. The condition of feeling sorry for some bad behavior: When Sally accidentally knocked over the bowl containing the gold fish in the living room, her contrition was greatly expressed with loud sobbing and yelling her terrible feelings.
2. Sorrow or affliction of mind for some fault or injury that has been done; specifically, penitence for sin: Mary's tears of contrition for neglecting her mother's birthday were sincere.
3. Etymology: from Latin terrere, "to rub"; literally, the action of rubbing things together, or against each other; grinding, pounding or bruising (so as to pulverize). © ALL rights are reserved.
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1. Damage, spoil, or disadvantage: The rainstorm caused a huge detriment to the relay races that were planned by the school.
2. Something that causes harm or injury: Not wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle can possibly result in detriment to that person's head.
3. Etymology: from Latin detrimentum, from detri-, stem of detere, "to wear away"; from de-, "away" + terere, "to rub, to wear".

Descriptive of causing impairment or damage; injurious: At the meeting with parents and teachers, Mrs. Jackson, the school counselor, pointed out that watching too much TV can be detrimental to a child's social and intellectual development.

It is a well-known fact that overeating can result in detrimental conditions for one's health.

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Descriptive of something that causes defacement or misfortune: Not doing well on his English examination will detrimentally affect Simon's grade-point average.

That which is injurious, damaging, and harmful: There is more evidence that there is significant detrimentalness to people's health when they smoke cigarettes, cigars, etc.

To eat fragmented particulates or very small pieces, or particles, of organic matter: Some species exist by detriophaging decomposed plant and animal remains or organic debris.

Descriptive of organisms that primarily feed on bits of nonchemical matter of the decayed remains of plants or animals: There are several detriophagous eaters of animal debris or organic tissues and organisms in an ecosystem including live microorganisms of bacteria and fungi that are engaged in the decomposition of the material.

Fly maggots are examples of detriophagous consumers of animal matter.

The consumption of particles of organic substances from the decomposition of plant and animal remnants: The detriophagy of nature involves the larvae of many flies that feed on decaying stuff, either from vegetable or of animal sources.

It is known that detriophagy is involved in the decomposition of heaps of compost and all natural forms of this kind, including leaf mold, rotting seaweeds, etc., all of which are breeding places for many flies.

Other detriophagies take place in carrion or animal flesh of varying stages of the decaying processes.