fracture

¹frac·ture

noun \ˈfrak-chər, -shər\

Definition of FRACTURE

1

: the result of fracturing : break

2

a : the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken; especially : the breaking of hard tissue (as bone)

b : the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue <kidney fracture>

3

: the general appearance of a freshly broken surface of a mineral

Examples of FRACTURE

1. a fracture in the Earth's crust
2. She suffered a wrist fracture when she slipped on the ice.

Origin of FRACTURE

Middle English, from Latin fractura, from fractus

First Known Use: 15th century

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Rhymes with FRACTURE

facture

²fracture

verb

frac·turedfrac·tur·ing \-chə-riŋ, -shriŋ\

Definition of FRACTURE

transitive verb

1

a : to cause a fracture in : break <fracture a rib>

b : rupture, tear

2

a : to damage or destroy as if by rupturing

b : to cause great disorder in

c : to break up : fractionate

d : to go beyond the limits of (as rules) : violate <fractured the English language with malaprops — Goodman Ace>

intransitive verb

: to undergo fracture

Examples of FRACTURE

1. Her wrist fractured when she fell on the ice.
2. Their happiness was fractured by an unforeseen tragedy.
3. These problems may fracture the unity of the two parties.
4. Their fragile happiness fractured all too soon.

First Known Use of FRACTURE

1612

Related to FRACTURE

Synonyms

break up, bust, distintegrate, dismember, disrupt, break, fragment, rive

Antonyms

comply (with), conform (to), follow, mind, obey, observe

Related Words

atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreck

Near Antonyms

doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair