rupture

[ ruhp-cher ]
See synonyms for rupture on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of breaking or bursting: The flood led to the rupture of the dam.

  2. the state of being broken or burst: a rupture in the earth's surface.

  1. a breach of harmonious, friendly, or peaceful relations.

  2. Pathology. hernia, especially abdominal hernia.

verb (used with object),rup·tured, rup·tur·ing.
  1. to break or burst: He ruptured a blood vessel.

  2. to cause a breach of: to rupture friendly relations.

  1. Pathology. to affect with hernia.

verb (used without object),rup·tured, rup·tur·ing.
  1. to suffer a break or rupture.

Origin of rupture

1
1475–85; <Latin ruptūra (noun), equivalent to rupt(us) (past participle of rumpere to break) + -ūra-ure

Other words for rupture

Opposites for rupture

Other words from rupture

  • rup·tur·a·ble, adjective
  • non·rup·tur·a·ble, adjective
  • non·rup·ture, noun
  • un·rup·tur·a·ble, adjective
  • un·rup·tured, adjective

Words that may be confused with rupture

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rupture in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rupture

rupture

/ (ˈrʌptʃə) /


noun
  1. the act of breaking or bursting or the state of being broken or burst

  2. a breach of peaceful or friendly relations

  1. pathol

    • the breaking or tearing of a bodily structure or part

    • another word for hernia

verb
  1. to break or burst or cause to break or burst

  2. to affect or be affected with a rupture or hernia

  1. to undergo or cause to undergo a breach in relations or friendship

Origin of rupture

1
C15: from Latin ruptūra a breaking, from rumpere to burst forth; see erupt

Derived forms of rupture

  • rupturable, adjective

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