Etymology

jetsam

jet·sam
J8E1T1S1A1M3

Today it means: Items thrown overboard from a ship or boat in distress in order to lighten its load. Full definition →

Middle English jetteson ← Anglo-Norman getteson
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The story

  1. Anglo-Norman · derived fromgetteson
  2. Middle English · inherited fromjetteson
  3. English todayjetsam

From Middle English jetteson, from Anglo-Norman getteson. Doublet of jettison.

Words from the same roots

Anglo-Normangetteson all →

jettison

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.