Debark

Debark is a verb that means to unload from and disembark from a vehicle, especially a ship or airplane. It is commonly used in travel, shipping, and logistics to describe passengers or cargo being removed at the destination. The process is called debarkation, and it is the counterpart to embarking, which means to go on board. In some contexts, debark is used interchangeably with disembark, though disembark is more widely encountered in modern usage.

In travel and commerce, debarking may occur at a port, airport, or other terminal when passengers leave a vessel or aircraft, or when goods are taken from a transport mode and moved to a warehouse, dock, or distribution facility. The term applies to both human passengers and cargo, and it can be paired with qualifiers such as debarkation point or debarkation procedures to describe the location and method of the exit.

Debark can also refer to a place name. Debark is a town in the Amhara region of northwestern Ethiopia, located near the Semien (Simien) Mountains and commonly described as a gateway for visitors to the Semien Mountains National Park. In that context, the word denotes a geographic location rather than a verb.

See also disembarkation, embark.