debris

noun

de·​bris də-ˈbrē 

dā-ˈbrē,

ˈdā-ˌbrē,

 British usually  ˈde-(ˌ)brē

plural debris də-ˈbrēz 

dā-ˈbrēz,

ˈdā-ˌbrēz,

 British usually  ˈde-(ˌ)brēz

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

Synonyms

• chaff
• deadwood
• dreck
• drek
• dross
• dust
• effluvium
• effluvia
• garbage
• junk
• litter
• offal
• offscouring
• raffle
• refuse
• riffraff
• rubbish
• scrap
• spilth
• trash
• truck
• waste

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 on the Web

The jet’s debris field – about two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston – was discovered Monday after a multi-agency search on the ground and from the air. —Jennifer Henderson, CNN, 22 Sep. 2023

Searchers later found a debris field in Williamsburg County, about two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston, officials said Monday evening. —Josh Cradduck, NBC News, 22 Sep. 2023

Personnel from the Charleston base and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort eventually found the debris field of the F-35 in Williamsburg County, the air base shared on Sept. 18, via social media. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023

Plastic debris from industrial waste and the breakdown of consumer goods can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems, in part by introducing toxic chemicals to marine life. —Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2023

Officials did not further specify the location of the debris field. —CBS News, 18 Sep. 2023

Also, if water outlets aren’t kept properly clear of debris and vegetation, or if a dam and its spillways aren’t large enough to manage the volume in a reservoir, embankment dams are at risk of being overtopped. —Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2023

Getting the drain clear of debris will help improve your machine's efficiency and overall functionality, so don't even think about skipping this step. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023

The Ocean Cleanup is on a mission to collect 90% of floating plastic pollution, including cleaning up the Great Pacific garbage patch, a collection of plastic debris and trash twice the size of Texas. —Ben Tracy, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

debris

noun

de·​bris də-ˈbrē 

dā-;

ˈdā-ˌbrē

plural debris -ˈbrēz 

-ˌbrēz

1

: the remains of something broken down or destroyed : ruins

2

: an accumulation of fragments of rock

3

: something discarded : rubbish

Medical Definition

debris

noun

de·​bris

də-ˈbrē, dā-ˈ, ˈdā-ˌ, British usually ˈdeb-(ˌ)rē

plural debris

: organic waste from dead or damaged tissue

a wound obscured by blood and debris

—Emergency Medicine