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debris Definition

de·bris (də brē; alsobrē, dābrē′; chiefly Brit deb)

noun

  1. rough, broken bits and pieces of stone, wood, glass, etc., as after destruction; rubble
  2. bits and pieces of rubbish; litter
  3. pl. -·bris-brēz a heap of rock fragments, as that deposited by a glacier

Etymology: Fr débris < OFr desbrisier, to break apart: see de- & bruise

debris Synonyms

debris

n.

debris Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • knap: There are no cores suggesting that they were either removed from the site or that the knapping debris was removed from elsewhere for burial.
  • dislodge: They are usually used to help freshen breath, but they also help to dislodge any food debris.
  • accumulate: Clean out the accumulated debris to open up the drainage holes.
  • remove: Removes debris from hard to clean places between teeth.
  • scatter: Falling nearby with the resultant loud explosion and debris scattered all over.
  • fly: The only damage sustained was caused by flying debris.

Adjective modifier

  • cometary: The rocky particles in this ring may have originated on Io or from meteoritic or cometary debris.
  • glacial: This is a hole down through glacial debris which is very easily eroded.
  • anthropogenic: Unit 1852 comprises unoriented heterogeneous fill with aggregates of poorly prepared building materials and anthropogenic debris.
  • floating: There was also a vast amount of floating debris.
  • volcanic: The water usually comes from two sources: rainfall or the melting of snow and ice by hot volcanic debris.
  • metallic: New evidence shows that metallic debris from the replaced joints travels to other organs, possibly causing cancer.

Modifies a noun

  • avalanche: After lunch we visited debris avalanche deposits in barrancos and larger scale landslide scars at Orotava and Icod.
  • dam: The streams have natural meanders, back channels and debris dams, features that are otherwise rare in the lowlands.

Noun used with modifier

  • metalworking: Slight traces of metalworking debris are also attested within this building.
  • landslide: In other places, landslide debris was strewn across the road barring the way.
  • polyethylene: A novel method for the prediction of functional biological activity of polyethylene wear debris.
  • avalanche: The scenery is even more spectacular in the afternoon as we walked past avalanche debris into the tiny village nestled under huge walls.
  • demolition: The dumps of demolition debris principally comprise limestone rubble, but also some tile, op sig and mortar.
  • flood: I tried to pretend I couldn't see the flood debris on the head high ledges.