Flotsam / ˈflɒtsəm / (also known as "flotsan") refers to goods from a sunken vessel that have floated to the surface of the sea, or any floating cargo that is cast overboard.

Flotsam was anything from a shipwreck (the word comes from Anglo-French floter, meaning "to float"), and jetsam and lagan were items thrown overboard to reduce the cargo weight of a ship.

Jan 4, 2021 · Flotsam is defined as debris in the water that was not deliberately thrown overboard, often as a result from a shipwreck or accident. Jetsam describes debris that was …

Flotsam describes goods that reach the ocean without having been deliberately put there. They are characteristically found floating on the ocean waters due to the action of the sea.

FLOTSAM definition: 1. pieces of broken wood and other waste materials found on the beach or floating on the sea: 2…. Learn more.

FLOTSAM definition: the part of the wreckage of a ship and its cargo found floating on the water. See examples of flotsam used in a sentence.

Flotsam Sail, scavenge, and rescue survivors in a vibrant floating city-builder. Captain your drifters across the endless garbage sea to uncover soaked ruins, rusting factories, and stories …

Jun 30, 2025 · “Flotsam” (from the Anglo-French floter, meaning “to float,” akin to the English “float”) refers to goods, wreckage, or cargo that floats on the water after a ship has sunk or …

Definition of flotsam noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 14, 2025 · flotsam (countable and uncountable, plural flotsams) Debris floating in a river or sea, in particular fragments from a shipwreck. quotations