rubble

[ ruhb-uhl roo-buhl ]

noun

1. broken bits and pieces of anything, as that which is demolished:

   Bombing reduced the town to rubble.

2. any solid substance, as ice, in irregularly broken pieces.
3. rough fragments of broken stone, formed by geological processes, in quarrying, etc., and sometimes used in masonry.
4. masonry built of rough fragments of broken stone.

rubble

/ ˈrʌbəl /

noun

1. fragments of broken stones, bricks, etc
2. any fragmented solid material, esp the debris from ruined buildings
3. quarrying the weathered surface layer of rock
4. Also calledrubblework masonry constructed of broken pieces of rock, stone, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈrubbly, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rubble¹

1350–1400; Middle English rubel, robil < ?; rubbish

Word History and Origins

Origin of rubble¹

C14 robyl ; perhaps related to Middle English rubben to rub, or to rubbish

Example Sentences

Four have been pulled out of the rubble so far.

From BBC

Wedged into the middle of a three storey-high pile of rubble and charred possessions in southern Beirut is a twisted and cracked metal sign.

From BBC

For almost 30 years, the silo has been full of rubble.

From BBC

Inside the chain-link fence encircling the property, an excavator last week was moving a pile of rubble — the last remains of an old building that had been demolished to make room for something new.

From Los Angeles Times

Over the past year, Israel’s military has killed many of Hamas’s leaders and thousands of its fighters, while reducing much of Gaza to rubble.

From New York Times

Related Words

• debris