Meanings
nounjetsam (countable and uncountable, plural jetsams)
plural jetsams
- broadlycountableuncountableDiscarded or leftover odds and ends.
They were the jetsam of the dot-com bust.
1 more example
STORAGE boxes -- catchalls for flotsam, jetsam, whatnots and thingamajigs -- are gaining new interest as decorative objects for the home.
1991 May 30, Emily Gwathmey, “Storage Box: Catchall's New Life as Eye-Catcher”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 14 Dec 2024
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Anglo-Normangetteson
- Middle Englishjetteson
- Englishjetsam
From Middle English jetteson, from Anglo-Norman getteson. Doublet of jettison.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech náklad vhozený do moře
- náklad vhozený do mořejetsam
Esperanto fuko
- fukojetsam
Finnish laidan yli heitetty tavara
- laidan yli heitetty tavarajetsam
French lest
- lestjetsam
German Strandgut
- Strandgutjetsam
Greek ξέβρασμα
- ξέβρασμα (xévrasma)jetsam
Japanese 打荷
- 打荷 (uchini)jetsam
Māori titītai
- titītaijetsam
Polish ładunek wyrzucany za burtę
- ładunek wyrzucany za burtęjetsam
Scottish Gaelic caitheachan, murrag
- caitheachanjetsam
- murragjetsam
Spanish echazón, desechos
- echazónjetsam
- desechosjetsam
- peciojetsam
Cite this entry
APA
jetsam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jetsam
MLA
“jetsam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jetsam. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jetsam,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jetsam.
Source: jetsam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.