Dross

The term dross derives from the Old English word dros, meaning the scum produced when smelting metals (extracting them from their ores). By the 15th century it had come to refer to rubbish in general. Dregs, Popular non-metalworking uses of the word are derogatory: • poorly written or plagiarized journalism - "that article is utter dross", a stronger term than filler • undesirable, unprofitable work - "let's home in on the lion's share and outsource the dross"; synonyms: corvée and drudgery which are growing archaisms in business (noun); as strong a term as dogsbody work ==See also==