comminute

[ kom-uh-noot, -nyoot ]
See synonyms for comminute on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),com·mi·nut·ed, com·mi·nut·ing.
  1. to pulverize; triturate.

adjective
  1. comminuted; divided into small parts.

  2. powdered; pulverized.

Origin of comminute

1
1620–30; <Latin comminūtus, past participle of comminuere, equivalent to com-com- + minuere to lessen, akin to minorminor

Other words from comminute

  • com·mi·nu·tion, noun
  • un·com·mi·nut·ed, adjective

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How to use comminute in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for comminute

comminute

/ (ˈkɒmɪˌnjuːt) /


verb
  1. to break (a bone) into several small fragments

  2. to divide (property) into small lots

  1. (tr) to pulverize

Origin of comminute

1
C17: from Latin comminuere, from com- (intensive) + minuere to reduce; related to minor

Derived forms of comminute

  • comminution, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012