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.
Lehmkuhl wrote that crews were ready to begin removing debris when they received a notice Thursday ordering them to halt demolition.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2026
The number matched that seen in images of aircraft debris that circulated on social media after the crash.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
And there are concerns that huge amounts of space debris from satellites could increasingly crash into each other in a dangerous chain reaction known as "Kessler syndrome".
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
"We are waiting for answers, for debris to be cleaned up, for inspections, for people who have been really affected to be helped," resident Keily Ibarra, 33, told Reuters.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Specks of debris floated all around, like a gentle snowfall, and suddenly she was recalling the snowfalls she’d experienced on land.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Definitions 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.
