n. & v.
n. 1 a part broken off; a detached piece. 2 an isolated or incomplete part. 3 the remains of an otherwise lost or destroyed whole, esp. the extant remains or unfinished portion of a book or work of art.
v.tr. & intr. break or separate into fragments. fragmental adj. fragmentize v.tr. (also -ise).
[ ME f. F fragment or L fragmentum (as FRAGILE) ]