FRACTURE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin fractura, from fractus Date: 15th century the result of fracturing ; break , 2. the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken, the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue , the general appearance of a freshly broken surface of a mineral, II. verb (~d; fracturing) Date: 1612 transitive verb 1. to cause a ~ in ; break , rupture , tear , 2. to damage or destroy as if by rupturing, to cause great disorder in, to break up ; fractionate , to go beyond the limits of (as rules) ; violate , intransitive verb to undergo ~