Floating wreckage or debris from a ship that has sunk or been wrecked; also used figuratively for any scattered or discarded items.
From Dutch 'flotsam' or Old French 'flotaison,' from 'floter' meaning 'to float.' Combined with 'jetsam' (things thrown overboard) as a legal term.
In maritime law, flotsam and jetsam have different meanings—flotsam floats on its own, but jetsam was deliberately thrown overboard, and this distinction could actually affect who owned it legally in old salvage cases.
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