Definition

Items or cargo that are thrown overboard from a ship to reduce its weight, especially in emergencies, or that are found washed up on the shore.

Example

After the storm, the beach was littered with jetsam from the shipwreck.

Conversation

Did you hear about the beach cleanup last weekend?

Yeah, I saw some pictures online! They found so much jetsam washed ashore.

It’s crazy what people throw away instead of disposing of it properly.

I know! We really need to be more responsible with our waste.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Jetsam is derived from the phrase 'jet-sam', where 'jet' comes from the Old French 'jeter' (meaning to throw) and 'sam' is a variant of 'same' (meaning the same). The term refers to goods that are thrown overboard from a ship to lighten the load, thus it describes items that are cast away at sea.

Memory Tip

Think of 'throwing' ('jeter') things overboard to lighten a ship's load — that's why jetsam refers to items thrown away at sea.

Visually Confused Words