Debris
/dəˈbriː/noun
Scattered fragments or wreckage left after something is broken, destroyed, or finished.
Did you know?English took *debris* from French, where it originally meant rubble and remains from demolition or collapse, not just random mess.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
debris
“Scattered fragments, wreckage, or remains”
18th Century
French
débris
“Rubble, wreckage, remains”
Late Latin
Latin
debridere
“To break down, crumble, or fall apart”
Latin
Latin
de- + frangere
“Down + to break”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhrengʰ-
“To break”
Explore more surprising origins