fracture

The definition of a fracture is a break or crack.

(noun)

An example of a fracture is a broken toe.

Fracture is defined as to break, crack or split.

(verb)

An example of fracture is splitting a tree branch into two pieces.

See fracture in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a breaking or being broken
a break, crack, or split
a break in a body part, esp. in a bone, or a tear in a cartilage
the texture, shape, etc. of the broken surface of a mineral as distinct from when it breaks along its cleavage plane: conchoidal fracture

Origin: ME < OFr < L fractura, a breaking, breach, cleft < pp. of frangere, break

transitive verb, intransitive verb fractured, fracturing

Related Forms:

See fracture in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. The act or process of breaking.
b. The condition of having been broken or ruptured: “a sudden and irreparable fracture of the established order” (W. Bruce Lincoln).
A break, rupture, or crack, especially in bone or cartilage.
Mineralogy
a. The characteristic manner in which a mineral breaks.
b. The characteristic appearance of the surface of a broken mineral.
Geology A crack or fault in a rock.

verb frac·tured, frac·tur·ing, frac·tures

verb, transitive

a. To cause to break: The impact fractured a bone.
b. To undergo a break in (a bone): He fractured his ankle in the fall.
To disrupt or destroy as if by breaking: fractured the delicate balance of power.
To abuse or misuse flagrantly, as by violating rules: ignorant writers who fracture the language.
Slang To cause to laugh heartily: “Jack Benny fractured audiences . . . for more than 50 years” (Newsweek).