
[Anglo-Norman floteson, from Old French floter, to float, of Germanic origin.]
USAGE NOTE In maritime law, flotsam applies to wreckage or cargo left floating on the sea after a shipwreck. Jetsam applies to cargo or equipment thrown overboard from a ship in distress and either sunk or washed ashore. The common phrase flotsam and jetsam is now used loosely to describe any objects found floating or washed ashore.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
A name for the goods that float upon the sea when cast overboard for the safety of the ship or when a ship is sunk. Distinguished from jetsam (goods deliberately thrown over to lighten ship) and ligan (goods cast into the sea attached to a buoy).
Floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo; floating debris; unimportant miscellaneous material.
After the ship was hit by the huge wave, there was much flotsam scattered for miles on the surface of the ocean.
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - drivgods, drivende vraggods
idioms:
Nederlands (Dutch)
rommel, drijvend wrak, zwervende bevolking
Français (French)
n. - épave(s) flottante(s), (fig) les laissés-pour-compte
idioms:
Deutsch (German)
n. - Treibgut
idioms:
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - εκβράσματα, αποβράσματα, (μτφ.) ναυάγια της ζωής
idioms:
Italiano (Italian)
relitti galleggianti
idioms:
Português (Portuguese)
n. - destroços (m pl) de navio
idioms:
Русский (Russian)
выброшенный и плавающий на поверхности, обломки
idioms:
Español (Spanish)
n. - pecios, fruslerías, objetos flotantes
idioms:
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - vrakgods
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
浮货, 零碎, 废料
idioms:
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 浮貨, 零碎, 廢料
idioms:
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 浮き荷, 漂流物, がらくた, 浮浪者
idioms:
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) حطام السفينه الطافي , مشردون
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - שרידי אונייה טרופה
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