wreckage

American  

[rek-ij] / ˈrɛk ɪdʒ /

noun

1. act of wrecking; wrecking; state of being wrecked.

2. remains or fragments of something that has been wrecked.

   They searched the wreckage for survivors.

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wreckage British  

/ ˈrɛkɪdʒ /

noun

1. same as wreck

2. the act of wrecking or the state of being wrecked; ruin or destruction

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Etymology

Origin of wreckage

First recorded in 1830–40; wreck + -age

Example Sentences

Turkish security forces found the wreckage of the aircraft near a village, less than 40 miles southwest of the capital, the interior minister said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The wreckage of their Falcon 50 aircraft was located by Turkish security personnel in the Haymana district near Ankara, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

From Barron's

Video footage shared with AP news agency showed the wreckage of the plane in the water, with witnesses and police officers seen entering the water to search the debris.

From BBC

By the time dinner was over, the last thing I wanted to do was return to the kitchen — which meant greeting the wreckage the next morning, bleary-eyed, just trying to make coffee.

From Salon

She feels cleansed by the sea and the fog that shrouds the world’s ugliness, and believes there is happiness to be salvaged from the wreckage of her past.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• debris
• rubble
• wreck