fracture Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun breaking of hard tissue such as bone
    break.
    • it was a nasty fracture
    • the break seems to have been caused by a fall
  2. noun (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
    fault; geological fault; break; faulting; shift.
    • they built it right over a geological fault
    • he studied the faulting of the earth's crust
  3. noun the act of cracking something
    cracking; crack.
  4. verb violate or abuse
    • This writer really fractures the language
  5. verb interrupt, break, or destroy
    • fracture the balance of power
  6. verb break into pieces
    • The pothole fractured a bolt on the axle
  7. verb become fractured
    • The tibia fractured from the blow of the iron pipe
  8. verb break (a bone)
    • She broke her clavicle
  9. verb fracture a bone of
    break.
    • I broke my foot while playing hockey

WordNet


Frac"ture noun
Etymology
L. fractura, fr. frangere, fractum, to break: cf. F. fracture. See Fraction.
Definitions
  1. The act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach.
  2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.
  3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture. Syn. -- Fracture, Rupture. These words denote different kinds of breaking, according to the objects to which they are applied. Fracture is applied to hard substances; as, the fracture of a bone. Rupture is oftener applied to soft substances; as, the rupture of a blood vessel. It is also used figuratively. "To be an enemy and once to have been a friend, does it not embitter the rupture?" South.
Frac"ture transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. F. fracturer.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fractured present participle & verbal noun Fracturing
Definitions
  1. To cause a fracture or fractures in; to break; to burst asunder; to crack; to separate the continuous parts of; as, to fracture a bone; to fracture the skull.

Webster 1913