rubble
UK[ˈrʌb(ə)l]US[ˈrʌb(ə)l]
n
Rough, broken pieces of stone, brick, concrete, etc., especially from a destroyed or demolished building.
n
A mass or collection of such broken material.
Etymology
The word 'rubble' entered Middle English in the late 14th century from Anglo-Norman French, likely related to the Old French word 'robe', meaning 'spoils' or 'booty'. This connection suggests the original sense was of broken, discarded material taken or left behind. The ultimate origin is obscure but may be linked to the Germanic root raub-, meaning 'to break' or 'to rob', which also gives us the word 'rob'. Over time, the meaning narrowed specifically to the broken fragments of stone or masonry from ruined structures, losing its earlier association with plunder and focusing purely on the physical debris.
Analysis
The word 'rubble' is a simplex word. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English form.
Examples
Rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors.
The old wall was knocked down, leaving a pile of rubble in the garden.
After the earthquake, entire city blocks were reduced to rubble.