debris
/ˈdɛbɹi/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed.
Noun
Examples
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.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Litter and discarded refuse.
Noun
Examples
[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, […].
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “debris” mean?
Rubble, wreckage, scattered remains of something destroyed.
Is “debris” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.