Debris Meaning
Debris Definition & Usage
Scattered pieces of waste or remains, often resulting from destruction or damage.
Examples
- "After the storm, the streets were filled with debris from fallen trees and broken windows."
- "The workers cleared away the debris from the construction site before beginning the next phase of work."
- "She carefully picked up the debris from the shattered vase, making sure not to cut herself."
- "Emergency crews worked through the night to remove debris from the collapsed building."
- "The beach was littered with debris, including plastic bottles, wrappers, and other trash."
Fragments of material resulting from an explosion, crash, or destruction, often used in specific technical contexts like space or military.
Examples
- "The satellite debris from the explosion was scattered across the lower orbit."
- "The plane crashed into the mountains, and debris was found miles away from the wreckage site."
- "Scientists are concerned about the increasing amount of debris in space, which poses a risk to satellites."
- "After the missile test, debris from the rocket fell into the ocean, creating environmental concerns."
- "The spacecraft collected samples of space debris to study the effects of collisions in low Earth orbit."
Cultural Context
Debris is a word commonly used in the context of natural disasters, construction, and even space exploration. It evokes images of destruction, cleanup efforts, and environmental challenges.
The Clean-Up After the Storm
Story
The Clean-Up After the Storm
The storm had been fierce, and now, as the skies began to clear, Sarah stood at the edge of her property, looking out at the mess left behind. Her once pristine backyard was now a scene of destruction. Branches from the old oak tree lay strewn across the lawn, some broken into jagged pieces. A pile of debris had formed near the fence, remnants of her garden shed that had collapsed under the force of the wind. "I guess this is what we have to deal with now," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. Her neighbor, Mr. Thompson, was already out in his yard, clearing away the debris that had scattered over to his side of the fence. He waved at her, his voice carrying over the distance. "You’re going to need help with all this. It’ll take days to clear it all up." Sarah nodded, knowing he was right. She hadn’t yet checked the damage to the house, but she could already see a few broken windows from the shattered glass scattered on the driveway. The clean-up crew arrived in the afternoon, bringing trucks and workers to remove the debris from the street and homes. It wasn’t just fallen branches they had to clear but the remnants of the broken fences, smashed cars, and large piles of debris that had been washed in from the river. As they worked, Sarah realized just how much the storm had affected the entire neighborhood. She looked down at a twisted piece of metal that had once been part of someone’s garage door. "How did we ever survive such chaos?" she wondered. That evening, Sarah sat on the porch with a cup of tea, looking at the debris piles that were slowly being carried away. It would take time to restore everything, but the worst was over. As she sipped her tea, she smiled. The debris would be gone soon, and life would return to normal. As Sarah watched the workers, she thought back to the technical discussions she'd heard at her recent space engineering conference. Space debris was something she'd only recently begun to understand. The risks it posed to satellites and spacecraft were immense, just like the debris left behind by the storm. Both types—whether from natural disasters or from human-made chaos in space—could cause destruction, but with time, recovery was possible.
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