Main Entry:

¹rup·ture

Pronunciation:

\ˈrəp(t)-shər\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English ruptur, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French rupture, from Latin ruptura fracture, from ruptus, past participle of rumpere to break — more at reave

Date:

15th century

1: breach of peace or concord ; specifically : open hostility or war between nations2 a: the tearing apart of a tissue <rupture of the heart muscle> <rupture of an intervertebral disk> b: hernia3: a breaking apart or the state of being broken apart