debris

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also débris

Contents

English [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Borrowing from French débris, itself from dé- (“de-”) + bris (“broken, crumbled”), or from Middle French debriser (“to break apart”), from Old French debrisier, itself from de- + brisier (“to break apart, shatter, bust”), from Frankish *brestan (“to break violently, shatter, bust”), from Proto-Germanic *brestaną (“to break, burst”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhrest- (“to separate, burst”). Cogante with Old High German bristan (“to break asunder, burst”), Old English berstan (“to break, shatter, burst”). More at burst.

Pronunciation [edit]

  • (UK) IPA: /ˈdɛbɹiː/, /ˈdeɪbɹiː/
  • (US) IPA: /dəˈbɹiː/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

Noun [edit]

debris (uncountable)

  1. Rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed.
    • 2012 December 21, David M. Halbfinger, Charles V. Bagli and Sarah Maslin Nir, “On Ravaged Coastline, It’s Rebuild Deliberately vs. Rebuild Now”, New York Times:
      His neighbors were still ripping out debris. But Mr. Ryan, a retired bricklayer who built his house by hand 30 years ago only to lose most of it to Hurricane Sandy, was already hard at work rebuilding.
  2. Litter and discarded refuse.
  3. The ruins of a broken-down structure
  4. (geology) Large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc.

Translations [edit]

rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed
litter and discarded refuse
ruins of a broken-down structure
large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc.
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Translations to be checked

Anagrams [edit]

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