dross
/'drɔs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- Waste or impure matter: "Dross" refers to the scum or unwanted material that forms on the surface of molten metals during smelting or oxidation.
- Something worthless or trivial: More broadly, "dross" describes any inferior, common, or worthless material, ideas, or elements that should be discarded.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The blacksmith skimmed the dross from the surface of the molten iron.
- The editor's job is to separate the literary gold from the dross.
- Much of the content on the internet is pure dross.
Advanced Usage
- "to separate the gold from the dross": This idiom means to distinguish valuable things or people from worthless ones.
- The audition process is designed to separate the gold from the dross.
Variants and Related Words
- Drossy (adj): Resembling or containing dross; worthless.
- The drossy material was discarded.
Synonyms
- Scum: A layer of impurities or extraneous matter.
- Impurity: A substance that makes something else less pure.
- Dregs: The most worthless part of something.
- Refuse: Matter thrown away as worthless.
- Trash: Worthless or discarded material.
Antonyms
- Essence: The intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something.
- Valuable: Worth a great deal of money or extremely useful.
- Treasure: A valuable person or thing.
Related Idioms
- To be dross: To be completely worthless.
- His later novels are considered dross by most critics.
Noun
- the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals
- worthless or dangerous material that should be removed
- there were impurities in the water