Worn down or rubbed away by friction; ground or reduced to powder by wear (very rare or technical term).
From Latin attritus, past participle of atterere (to wear away). A directly borrowed Latin adjective that never fully naturalized in English.
Scientists studying ancient artifacts describe pottery shards as 'attritus' when they're so weathered by centuries of soil that their original markings are worn smooth—it's like reading a ghost of history.
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