1. Rock fragments or sediment particles produced by the weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks; used in geology to describe detrital material.
Usage: geology; plural form; singular is 'clastic'; often used as a modifier (e.g., 'clastic sediments', 'clastic rocks')

Examples

• The riverbed was composed of clastics ranging from fine silt to coarse gravel.
• Geologists studied the clastics to understand the erosion patterns of the ancient mountain range.
• Sandstone is formed from clastics that have been compacted and cemented together.
• The clastics in this layer indicate a high-energy depositional environment.
• Clastics are distinguished from other sedimentary materials by their mechanical origin.