debris

American  

[duh-bree, dey-bree, deb-ree] / dəˈbri, ˈdeɪ bri, ˈdɛb ri /

Or débris

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.

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debris British  

/ 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

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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” ( bruise )

Example Sentences

One is debris proliferation in low Earth orbit if there’s an accident.

From The Wall Street Journal

The jury was told council workers had been removing flood debris from the area, which was then placed on to a truck and taken to a site in East Leicester.

From BBC

He now helps his mother gather firewood from collapsed houses, pulling loose planks from the debris to sell.

From BBC

The bulge was gone, hurtling down the mountainside, gathering speed and power and debris as it went.

From Literature

He said bodies had been recovered from the debris, without giving an exact number.

From Barron's

Related Words

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