dross
Molten metal waste
Dross is the scum or impurities that form on molten metal and are skimmed off during smelting.
The word extends to anything worthless, trivial, or of poor quality: sifting through the dross to find something worth reading.
It often implies waste material left after the valuable part has been extracted.
Industrial metalworking byproduct
- scoriaPorous volcanic ejecta
- sinterHeat-fuse without liquefying
- clinkerFused coal residue
- fluxContinuous change or flow
smelting · furnace · crucible · molten · foundry · ore · refining · purification
Industrial metalworking byproduct
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- residueMatter left behind
- leavingsWhat's abandoned behind
- tailingsPost-extraction mineral waste
detritus · ashes · dregs · sludge · grounds · remnant · remainder · sweepings
Protective seed coverings
- trivialLacking significance or weight
- valuelessHaving no worth
- insignificantLacking importance or consequence
- negligibleToo small to consider
futile · pointless · useless · expendable · dispensable · superfluous · nonessential · dregs
Reject or garbage
- rubbishWaste or nonsense
- garbageDiscarded waste material
- trashDiscarded worthless material
- junkWorthless discarded items
scrap · debris · litter · chaff · flotsam · jetsam · rubble · leftovers
Introduction of impurities
- taintMake impure
- adulterantImpurity added intentionally
- pollutantEnvironment-harming agent
- defilementAct of corrupting purity
corruption · filth · blemish · foreign matter · admixture · tarnish · stain · spoilage
slag
Industrial metalworking byproduct
flux · smelting · furnace · crucible · molten · foundry · ore · refining · purification · skimming
slag
Industrial metalworking byproduct
tailings · detritus · ashes · dregs · sludge · grounds · remnant · remainder · sweepings · settlings
chaff
Protective seed coverings
- trivialLacking significance or weight
- valuelessHaving no worth
- insignificantLacking importance or consequence
negligible · futile · pointless · useless · expendable · dispensable · superfluous · nonessential · dregs · offal
refuse
Reject or garbage
junk · scrap · debris · litter · chaff · flotsam · jetsam · rubble · leftovers · discards
contamination
Introduction of impurities
- taintMake impure
- adulterantImpurity added intentionally
- pollutantEnvironment-harming agent
defilement · corruption · filth · blemish · foreign matter · admixture · tarnish · stain · spoilage · degradation
drossessence
Fundamental nature of something
substance · core · heart · cream of the crop · pick of the litter