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

By late 2024, the agency distributed more than $1.2 billion in direct assistance to survivors of the Helene and Milton hurricanes, with another $1.1 billion allocated for debris removal and other measures. —Micheline Maynard, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024

Geminid meteors are caused by dust and debris left in the inner solar system, not by a comet — as is usually the case for meteor showers — but by an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon, which hurtles through the solar system every 18 months. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Those figures don’t include millions of dollars spent on services such as debris removal. Congress in late September passed a continuing resolution that added about $20 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund starting Oct. 1. —Jeff Cercone, Austin American-Statesman, 9 Dec. 2024

The debris stream created by asteroid 3200 Phaethon is massive, and Earth passes through it once every year in mid-December. —Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024

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