Word
debris
Phoneticsde·bris, stress on the second syllable
US/dəˈbɹi/
UK/dˈɛbɹiː/
Definitions
01scattered remains
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the broken pieces that are left after something is destroyed or damaged.
n. the scattered fragments or wreckage of something that has been demolished, destroyed, or broken down.
“After the storm, the garden was covered in debris from the fallen trees.”
“Emergency crews worked through the night to clear the debris from the collapsed bridge, searching for any signs of survivors beneath the twisted metal.”
Usage
This noun is uncountable and does not take a plural 's'.
02litter or waste
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. pieces of waste or trash that are scattered in a place.
n. discarded refuse or litter found in a particular environment.
“Volunteers spent the weekend picking up plastic debris from the local beach.”
“The accumulation of orbital debris poses a significant threat to active satellites and future space exploration missions.”
Usage
Often used in environmental contexts like 'space debris' or 'marine debris'.
03geological fragments
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. rocks and dirt left behind by a glacier or a landslide.
n. an accumulation of loose rock fragments or organic matter, often deposited by geological processes like glaciation.
“The melting glacier left behind a huge pile of rocky debris in the valley.”
“The landslide deposited a massive fan of debris at the base of the mountain, blocking the river and creating a natural dam.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “debris” in context.
Verb
01. clear away the debris
“It took the rescue teams several days to clear away the debris left by the explosion.”
verb + adv + noun
02. scatter debris
“The tornado scattered debris across the entire neighborhood.”
verb + noun
03. sift through the debris
“Investigators spent weeks sifting through the debris to find the cause of the crash.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
04. floating debris
“Coast Guard officials warned ships about large amounts of floating debris in the harbor.”
adj + noun
05. radioactive debris
“Specialized teams were brought in to contain the radioactive debris from the reactor.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. mountain of debris
“The demolition crew was faced with a massive mountain of debris that blocked the street.”
noun + of + noun
07. space debris
“Scientists are concerned about the growing amount of space debris orbiting the Earth.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. buried under debris
“Several survivors were miraculously found alive after being buried under debris for forty hours.”
prep + noun
09. debris removal
Real-World Examples
“Water and debris burst into a state-run hydropower tunnel in Uttarakhand following a landslide.” “When they reopened them, everything was covered in dust and debris.” “In one accident, a passenger was killed on a Southwest Airlines plane in 2018, after debris knocked out a window.” Etymology
Borrowed 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 bristijan, bristan, brestan (“to break violently, shatter, bust”), from Proto-Germanic brestaną (“to break, burst”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrest- (“to separate, burst”). Cognate with Old High German bristan (“to break asunder, burst”), Old English berstan (“to break, shatter, burst”), German bersten (“to burst”). More at burst.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. debris field
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/debris