debris

or dé·bris

[ duh-bree, dey-breeor, especially British, deb-ree ]

noun

1. the remains of anything broken down or destroyed; ruins; rubble:

   the debris of buildings after an air raid.

   Synonyms: trash, litter, detritus

2. Geology. an accumulation of loose fragments of rock.

debris

/ ˈdɛbrɪ; ˈdeɪbrɪ /

noun

1. fragments or remnants of something destroyed or broken; rubble
2. a collection of loose material derived from rocks, or an accumulation of animal or vegetable matter

Word History and Origins

Origin of debris¹

First recorded in 1700–10; from French débris, Middle French debris, derivative of debriser “to break up (into pieces),” Old French debrisier, from de- de- + brisier “to break” ( bruise )

Word History and Origins

Origin of debris¹

C18: from French, from obsolete debrisier to break into pieces, from bruisier to shatter, of Celtic origin

Example Sentences

Beyond wind, rain and snow, the storm could also bring flash flooding, rock slides and debris flows as well as heavy mountain snow and blizzard conditions in areas of high elevation.

From BBC

A fire caused by fallen debris from one of the missiles was quickly extinguished and there were no casualties, it said.

From BBC

Rescuers have been sending supplies of water, glucose and oxygen to those trapped through small gaps in the debris.

From BBC

All meteor showers originate from the debris field of comets or asteroids.

From BBC

Months of weekends were spent digging the 40ft tunnel, with debris being taken away in plastic boxes under cover of darkness.

From BBC

Related Words

• detritus
• junk
• remains
• rubbish
• rubble
• trash
• wreck
• wreckage