rubble

American  

[ruhb-uhl, roo-buhl] / ˈrʌb əl, ˈru bəl /

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.

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rubble British  

/ 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 called: rubblework.  masonry constructed of broken pieces of rock, stone, etc

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Other Word Forms

• rubbly adjective

Etymology

Origin of rubble

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

Example Sentences

It’s worthwhile sifting through the rubble of a selloff and asking how durable marked-down businesses are.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was just a pile of rubble, and the only way you could tell what had been there was you could still put together some of the words from its also-decimated sign.

From Literature

AFP saw excavators scooping debris, and dozens of first responders and employees clearing rubble.

From Barron's

For all he knew, most of Beaverville was a pile of rubble.

From Literature

An AFP reporter at the scene saw volunteers in tears, some embracing each other or sweeping away rubble.

From Barron's

Related Words

• debris