"accumulation of loose matter or rubbish from some destructive operation or process," 1708, from French débris "remains, waste, rubbish" (16c.), from obsolete debriser "break down, crush," from Old French de- (see de-) + briser "to break," from Late Latin brisare, which is possibly of Gaulish origin (compare Old Irish brissim "I break").
late 15c., "fountain, stream," of uncertain origin, probably from French sourge-, stem of sourdre "to rise, swell," from Latin surgere "to rise, arise, get up, mount up, ascend; attack," contraction of surrigere, from assimilated form of sub "up from below" (see sub-) + regere "to keep straight, guide" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule"). Meaning "high, rolling swell of water" is from 1520s; figurative sense of "excited rising up" (as of feelings) is from 1510s.
1510s, "to rise and fall," from surge (n.), or from French surgir "rise, ride (as a ship does a wave), spring up, arrive." Meaning "rise high and roll forcefully" is from 1560s. Related: Surged; surging.
radioactive element, discovered in the debris of a 1952 U.S. nuclear test in the Pacific, named 1955 for Italian-born U.S. physicist Enrico Fermi (1901-1954). With metallic element ending -ium.
surge back again, rise again," "1887 in modern use, from re- "again" + surge (v.), or else a back-formation from resurgent. The verb also was in use in 17c., from Latin resurgere, but it became obsolete by 19c. unless in poetry. An older verb form was resourd (mid-15c.). Related: Resurged; resurging.
"rising in waves," 1590s, from Latin surgentem (nominative surgens) "rising," present participle of surgere "to rise" (see surge (n.)). In psychology from 1933.
1630s, from Latin fluctuatus, past participle of fluctuare "to undulate, to move in waves," from fluctus "a wave, billow, surge, a flowing," from past participle of fluere "to flow" (see fluent). Related: Fluctuated; fluctuates; fluctuating.
