noun
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fragments or remnants of something destroyed or broken; rubble
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a collection of loose material derived from rocks, or an accumulation of animal or vegetable matter
Etymology
Origin of debris
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” ( see bruise)
Explanation
Debris is trash scattered around after a disaster, like shattered glass on the road after a car accident. Debris comes from French for "waste, rubbish." Although debris usually refers to the trash leftover after some kind of explosion or crash, it can also be what's on your floor after hosting a kid's make-your-own pizza party, or what you shouldn't leave at the park after a picnic. Sometimes Mother Nature leaves debris, such as a pile of rocks, or that car on your lawn after the flood recedes. Don't pronounce the "s": debris rhymes with "be free."
Vocabulary lists containing debris
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But unlike the frozen flakes that fall from the sky, this underwater snow consists of tiny clumps of waste, dead organisms, and other debris.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
The shower is made up of dust particles from the Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which leaves a trail of debris as it follows its path around the Sun.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Their remains can form rotating discs of debris around the dead star.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
He later slipped and twisted his lower right leg badly as he made a dash to collect a supply package across ground covered by broken bricks, concrete shards, pieces of steel and other debris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The air is smoky and filled with flying bits of debris; there’s so much of it, it’s almost difficult to breathe.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
