Word Study
fracture
CIDE DICTIONARY
fracture, n. [L. fractura, fr. frangere, fractum, to break: cf. F. fracture. See Fraction.].
- The act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach. [1913 Webster]
- The breaking of a bone. [1913 Webster]
- The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture. [1913 Webster]
fracture, v. t. [Cf. F. fracturer.].
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. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
fracture, n. & v.
--n.
1 a breakage or breaking, esp. of a bone or cartilage. b the result of breaking; a crack or split.
2 the surface appearance of a freshly broken rock or mineral.
3 Linguistics a the substitution of a diphthong for a simple vowel owing to an influence esp. of a following consonant. b a diphthong substituted in this way.
--v.intr. & tr.
1 Med. undergo or cause to undergo a fracture.
2 break or cause to break.
--n.
1 a breakage or breaking, esp. of a bone or cartilage. b the result of breaking; a crack or split.
2 the surface appearance of a freshly broken rock or mineral.
3 Linguistics a the substitution of a diphthong for a simple vowel owing to an influence esp. of a following consonant. b a diphthong substituted in this way.
--v.intr. & tr.
1 Med. undergo or cause to undergo a fracture.
2 break or cause to break.
Etymology
ME f. F fracture or f. L fractura (as FRACTION)
THESAURUS
fracture
abrade, abrasion, abysm, abyss, amuse, arroyo, bark, beguile, blemish, bloody, box canyon, breach, break, break open, break up, breakage, breaking, burn, burst, bust, canyon, cavity, chafe, chap, chasm, check, chimney, chink, chip, claw, cleavage, cleave, cleft, cleuch, clough, col, come apart, come unstuck, concussion, convulse, coulee, couloir, crack, crackle, cranny, craze, crevasse, crevice, cut, cut apart, cwm, defile, delight, dell, dike, disintegrate, ditch, divert, division, donga, draw, enliven, entertain, excavation, exfoliate, exhilarate, fall to pieces, fault, fissure, flash burn, flaw, flume, fracture one, fray, frazzle, fret, furrow, gall, gap, gape, gash, give away, give way, gorge, groove, gulch, gulf, gully, hole, hurt, incise, incision, injure, injury, joint, kill, kloof, knock dead, lacerate, laceration, leak, lesion, loosen up, maim, make mincemeat of, maul, moat, mortal wound, mutilate, mutilation, notch, nullah, open, opening, pass, passage, pierce, puncture, raise a laugh, raise a smile, ravine, recreate, refresh, regale, relax, rend, rent, rift, rime, rip, rive, run, rupture, savage, scald, scale, schism, scissure, scorch, scotch, scrape, scratch, scuff, seam, second-degree burn, separate, separation, skin, slash, slay, slice, slit, slot, snap, solace, sore, splinter, split, sprain, spring a leak, stab, stab wound, start, stick, strain, tear, third-degree burn, tickle, titillate, trauma, traumatize, trench, valley, void, wadi, wound, wounds immedicable, wow, wrenchROGET THESAURUS
fracture
Disjunction
N disjunction, disconnection, disunity, disunion, disassociation, disengagement, discontinuity, abjunction, cataclasm, inconnection, abstraction, abstractedness, isolation, insularity, insulation, oasis, island, separateness, severalty, disjecta membra, dispersion, apportionment, separation, parting, circumcision, detachment, segregation, divorce, sejunction, seposition, diduction, diremption, discerption, elision, caesura, break, fracture, division, subdivision, rupture, compartition, dismemberment, dislocation, luxation, severance, disseverance, scission, rescission, abscission, laceration, dilaceration, disruption, abruption, avulsion, divulsion, section, resection, cleavage, fission, partibility, separability, fissure, breach, rent, split, rift, crack, slit, incision, dissection anatomy, decomposition, cutting instrument, buzzsaw, circular saw, rip saw, separatist, disjoined, discontinuous, multipartite, abstract, disjunctive, secant, isolated, insular, separate, disparate, discrete, apart, asunder, far between, loose, free, unattached, unannexed, unassociated, unconnected, distinct, adrift, straggling, rift, reft, scissile, divisible, discerptible, partible, separable, separately, one by one, severally, apart, adrift, asunder, in twain, in the abstract, abstractedly.Discontinuity
N discontinuity, disjunction, anacoluthon, interruption, break, fracture, flaw, fault, crack, cut, gap, solution of continuity, caesura, broken thread, parenthesis, episode, rhapsody, patchwork, intermission, alternation, dropping fire, discontinuous, unsuccessive, broken, interrupted, dicousu, disconnected, unconnected, discrete, disjunctive, fitful, spasmodic, desultory, intermitting, occasional, intermittent, alternate, recurrent, at intervals, by snatches, by jerks, by skips, by catches, by fits and starts, skippingly, per saltum, longo intervallo, like 'angel visits few and far between'.For further exploring for "fracture" in Webster Dictionary Online