ETYM Latin attritio: cf. French attrition.
1. A wearing down to weaken or destroy.
2. Sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; SYN. contrition, contriteness.
3. The act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction.
Wearing away; rubbing or scraping; Theology, incomplete repentance due to fear of punishment. war of attrition, campaign of wearing down enemy's morale and resistance.
In earth science, the process by which particles of rock being transported by river, wind, or sea are rounded and gradually reduced in size by being struck against one another.
The rounding of particles is a good indication of how far they have been transported. This is particularly true for particles carried by rivers, which become more rounded as the distance downstream increases. + prikaži više

The state of being bereaved; deprivation; esp., the loss of a relative by death.

ETYM As. dôm; akin to OS. dôm, Old High Germ. tuom, Dan. and Swed. dom, Icel. dômr, Goth. dôms, Greek themis law; from the root of Eng. do, v. t. Related to Do, Deem, -dom.
An unpleasant or disastrous destiny; SYN. doomsday, day of reckoning.

Failure that results in a loss of position or reputation.

ETYM as. los loss, losing, from leósan to lose. Related to Lose.
(Irregular plural: losses).
1. Decline in activity.
2. Something that is lost.
3. The act of losing.
4. The amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue.
5. The disadvantage that results from losing something; or; SYN. deprivation.
6. The experience of losing a loved one.
In business, the opposite of profit, when revenues are less than costs. + prikaži više

ETYM Old Eng. waste; cf. the kindred as. westen, Old High Germ. westî, wuostî, German wüste. Related to Waste.
(Homonym: waist).
1. Any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted; SYN. waste material, waste matter, waste product.
2. Useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; SYN. wastefulness, dissipation.
3. (Law) Reduction in the value of an estate caused by act or neglect; SYN. permissive waste.
Materials that are no longer needed and are discarded. Examples are household waste, industrial waste (which often contains toxic chemicals), medical waste (which may contain organisms that cause disease), and nuclear waste (which is radioactive). By recycling, some materials in waste can be reclaimed for further use. In 1990 the industrialized nations generated 2 billion metric tons of waste. In the us, 40 metric tons of solid waste are generated annually per person, roughly twice as much as in Europe or Japan.
There has been a tendency to increase the amount of waste generated per person in industrialized countries, particularly through the growth in packaging and disposable products, creating a “throwaway society”. + prikaži više