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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

frac·ture       (frāk'chər)  Pronunciation Key  n.   The act or process of breaking. The condition of having been broken or ruptured: "a sudden and irreparable fracture of the established order" (W. Bruce Lincoln). The characteristic manner in which a mineral breaks. The characteristic appearance of the surface of a broken mineral. A break, rupture, or crack, especially in bone or cartilage. Mineralogy The characteristic manner in which a mineral breaks. The characteristic appearance of the surface of a broken mineral. Geology A crack or fault in a rock. v.   frac·tured, frac·tur·ing, frac·tures v.   tr. To cause to break: The impact fractured a bone. To undergo a break in (a bone): He fractured his ankle in the fall. To disrupt or destroy as if by breaking: fractured the delicate balance of power. To abuse or misuse flagrantly, as by violating rules: ignorant writers who fracture the language. Slang To cause to laugh heartily: "Jack Benny fractured audiences . . . for more than 50 years" (Newsweek). v.   intr. To undergo a fracture. See Synonyms at break. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin frāctūra, from frāctus, past participle of frangere, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fracture  (n.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

fracture
noun
1.	breaking of hard tissue such as bone; "it was a nasty fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a fall"
2.	(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they built it right over a geological fault"; "he studied the faulting of the earth's crust" [syn: fault]
3.	the act of cracking something
verb
1.	violate or abuse; "This writer really fractures the language"
2.	interrupt, break, or destroy; "fracture the balance of power"
3.	break into pieces; "The pothole fractured a bolt on the axle"
4.	become fractured; "The tibia fractured from the blow of the iron pipe"
5.	break (a bone); "She broke her clavicle"
6.	fracture a bone of; "I broke my foot while playing hockey"

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fracture       (frāk'chər)  Pronunciation Key  A break or rupture in bone tissue. A comminuted fracture results in more than two fragments. Although most fractures are caused by a direct blow or sudden, twisting force, stress fractures result from repetitive physical activity. In an incomplete fracture, the fracture line does not completely traverse the bone.

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fracture frac·ture (frāk'chər)
n.

1. The act or process of breaking.
2. A break, rupture, or crack, especially in bone or cartilage.

v.
To cause to break.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Fracture

Frac"ture\ (?; 135), n. [L. fractura, fr. frangere, fractum, to break: cf. F. fracture. See Fraction.]

1. The act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach.

2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.

3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.

Comminuted fracture (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone is broken into several parts.

Complicated fracture (Surg.), a fracture of the bone combined with the lesion of some artery, nervous trunk, or joint.

Compound fracture (Surg.), a fracture in which there is an open wound from the surface down to the fracture.

Simple fracture (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone only is ruptured. It does not communicate with the surface by an open wound.

Syn: Fracture, Rupture.

Usage: These words denote different kinds of breaking, according to the objects to which they are applied. Fracture is applied to hard substances; as, the fracture of a bone. Rupture is oftener applied to soft substances; as, the rupture of a blood vessel. It is also used figuratively. "To be an enemy and once to have been a friend, does it not embitter the rupture?" --South.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Fracture

Frac"ture\ (?; 135), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fractured (#; 135); p. pr. & vb. n.. Fracturing.] [Cf. F. fracturer.] To cause a fracture or fractures in; to break; to burst asunder; to crack; to separate the continuous parts of; as, to fracture a bone; to fracture the skull.