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.
When the Americans reached Weimar in April, Weirich was ordered to march through the hellish debris of Buchenwald to clear up the camp on a work detail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
"My eyes have started to sting because of the dust from the burned debris flying around in the smoke," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
One of its tasks will be detecting micrometeoroids, tiny pieces of space debris that strike the lunar surface.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Rain rates are probably going to be a quarter of inch per hour or less, making debris flow and landslides unlikely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
A strong wind whipped up dust, debris, and gravel and forced the bus to slow down to a snail’s pace.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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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.
