Dictionary.com

debris

or dé·bris

[ duh-bree, dey-bree or, especially British, deb-ree ]
/ dəˈbri, ˈdeɪ bri or, especially British, ˈdɛb ri /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: debris / debrises on Thesaurus.com

noun
the remains of anything broken down or destroyed; ruins; rubble: the debris of buildings after an air raid.
Geology. an accumulation of loose fragments of rock.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of debris

1700–10; <French débris,Middle French debris, derivative of debriser to break up (in pieces), Old French debrisier (de-de- + brisier to break; see bruise)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use debris in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for debris

debris

dbris

/ (ˈdeɪbrɪ, ˈdɛbrɪ) /

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

Word Origin for debris

C18: from French, from obsolete debrisier to break into pieces, from bruisier to shatter, of Celtic origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK