FISSURE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin fissura, from fissus Date: 14th century a narrow opening or crack of considerable length and depth usually occurring from some breaking or parting, 2. a natural cleft between body parts or in the substance of an organ, a break or slit in tissue usually at the junction of skin and mucous membrane, a separation or disagreement in thought or viewpoint ; schism , II. verb (~d; fissuring) Date: 1656 transitive verb to break into ~s ; cleave , intransitive verb crack , divide