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Debris vs Grit - What's the difference?

debris | grit |

In geology terms the difference between debris and grit

is that debris is large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc while grit is a hard, coarse-grained siliceous sandstone; gritstone. Also, to a finer sharp-grained sandstone, e.g. grindstone grit.

As nouns the difference between debris and grit

is that debris is rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed while grit is collection of hard small materials, such as dirt, ground stone, debris from sandblasting or other such grinding, swarf from metalworking.

As a verb grit is

to clench, particularly in reaction to pain or anger; apparently only appears in gritting one's teeth.

As an adjective Grit is

of or belonging to the Liberal Party of Canada.

debris

English

Alternative forms

*

Noun

(-)
  • Rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=December 21, author=David M. Halbfinger, Charles V. Bagli and Sarah Maslin Nir, title=On Ravaged Coastline, It’s Rebuild Deliberately vs. Rebuild Now, work=New York Times citation
  • , passage=His neighbors were still ripping out debris . But Mr. Ryan, a retired bricklayer who built his house by hand 30 years ago only to lose most of it to Hurricane Sandy, was already hard at work rebuilding. }}
  • Litter and discarded refuse.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Welcome to the plastisphere , passage=[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, […].}}
  • The ruins of a broken-down structure
  • (geology) Large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc.
  • Anagrams

    *

    grit

    English

    Etymology 1

    With early modern vowel shortening, from (etyl) grete, griet, from (etyl) ‘lump’).

    Noun

    (-)
  • Collection of hard small materials, such as dirt, ground stone, debris from sandblasting or other such grinding, swarf from metalworking.
  • The flower beds were white with grit from sand blasting the flagstone walkways.
  • Inedible particles in food.
  • It tastes like grit from nutshells in these cookies.
  • Firmness of mind; invincible spirit; unyielding courage or fearlessness; fortitude.
  • That kid with the cast on his arm has the grit to play dodgeball.
  • A measure of relative coarseness of an abrasive material such as sandpaper.
  • I need a sheet of 100 grit sandpaper.
  • (geology) A hard, coarse-grained siliceous sandstone; gritstone. Also, to a finer sharp-grained sandstone, e.g. grindstone grit .
  • Derived terms
    * *
    See also
    * debris * mortar and pestle * swarf

    Verb

  • To clench, particularly in reaction to pain or anger; apparently only appears in gritting one's teeth .
  • We had no choice but to grit our teeth and get on with it.
    He has a sleeping disorder and grits his teeth.
  • To cover with grit .
  • To give forth a grating sound, like sand under the feet; to grate; to grind.
  • * Goldsmith
  • The sanded floor that grits beneath the tread.
    Derived terms
    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) gryt ‘bran, chaff’, from (etyl) grytt, from (etyl) . See above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (usually in plural) husked]] but unground [[oat, oats
  • (usually in plural) coarsely ground corn or hominy used as porridge
  • Anagrams

    * girt * trig