I. ˈfrakchə(r), -ksh- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin fractura, from fractus (past participle of frangere to break) + -ura -ure — more at break
1.
a. : the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken : rupture by a break through the entire thickness of a material : breach ; specifically : the breaking of hard tissue (as a bone, tooth, or cartilage)
b. : the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue
kidney fracture
2. : the product or result of fracturing : break , crack , cleft
3. : the texture or general appearance of the freshly broken surface of a mineral
a rock with a conchoidal fracture
4. : breaking 1
II. verb
( fractured ; fractured ; fracturing -kchəriŋ, -ksh(ə)r- ; fractures )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cause a fracture in : break
fracture a rib
the bump in the road fractured a spring on the car
b. : rupture , tear , lacerate
a blow that fractured a kidney
2.
a. : to damage or destroy as if by rupturing or tearing apart
fracture the newfound unity of the two parties
may seriously fracture himself as he tries to patch up the rifts in the … party — Sidney Hyman
b. : to break into pieces : cause great disorder in
a scream that fractured the peace of the night
conspiracy to fracture their sensibilities — Time
c. : to break up : fractionate
by fracturing and dispersing senatorial power — W.V.Shannon
most world movements and agencies … have been fractured or assimilated by national interests in one way or another — Liston Pope
d. : to show disregard for (as a law or rule) : violate
declared the principle of the separation of church and state fractured by the agreement
he fractured many of the laws of probability — Sheldon Cheney
intransitive verb
: to undergo fracture : break especially through a total thickness
under the blow the thighbone fractured