A French term, used directly in English publications, that has been defined as follows: The intentional action of breaking a block of raw material (hard rock) in order to use the products (flakes, blades, bladelets) as they are, or to convert these into tools by retouch. ´Debitage´ also comprises the results of this action (Tixier 1974, 14).
It has also been defined as:
Residual lithic material resulting from tool manufacture. Useful to determine techniques and for showing technological traits. Represents intentional and unintentional breakage of artifacts either through manufacture or function. Debitage flakes usually represent the various stages of progress of the raw material from the original form to the finished stage. (Crabtree 1982., 32).