Definition of debris
debris
play \-ˈbrēz, -ˌbrēz\1 : the remains of something broken down or destroyed digging through the storm's debris in search of survivors sifted through the debris of her broken marriage
2 geology : an accumulation of fragments of rock
3 : something discarded : rubbish picking up debris after the parade
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Examples of debris in a Sentence
After the earthquake, rescuers began digging through the debris in search of survivors.
Everything was covered by dust and debris.
Recent Examples of debris from the Web
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An ischemic stroke, which accounts for about 87 percent of all strokes, is when blood flow in an artery is blocked by atherosclerotic plaque debris or when a clot of blood originating in another artery, or from the heart, travels to the brain.
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Engineers hope to start bringing in dirt and removing debris over the weekend, or early next week.
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Ken Sumner stepped through the debris of another unexpected move.
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Crews still had to remove the gates that separated Union Bay from the canal, as well as sediment and debris that had accumulated at either end of the Montlake Cut.
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The weather service sent a survey team to Shelby County over the weekend to look for tornado damage after a tornado debris signature was spotted on radar on June 22.
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Preliminary repairs to clean up debris around the gates have started, but repairs hadn’t been completed by Thursday evening.
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Engineers think the grippers could help automate repair processes currently done by astronauts and may even be useful in future projects to clear up space debris cluttering Earth’s orbit.
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These rocks spun around and bumped into each other in a chaotic dance that left a trail of debris in its wake.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'debris.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of debris
French débris, from Middle French, from debriser to break to pieces, from Old French debrisier, from de- + brisier to break, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish brisid he breaks; perhaps akin to Latin fricare to rub — more at friction
DEBRIS Defined for English Language Learners
debris
playDefinition of debris for English Language Learners
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: the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed
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: things (such as broken pieces and old objects) that are lying where they fell or that have been left somewhere because they are not wanted
DEBRIS Defined for Kids
debris
playDefinition of debris for Students
debris
\-ˈbrēz\: the junk or pieces left from something broken down or destroyed
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about debris
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See words that rhyme with debris Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for debris Spanish Central: Translation of debris Nglish: Translation of debris for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of debris for Arabic speakers
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