Fracture
'fræk.tʃər
Definitions
2 meaningsTo break or cause to break (a bone or other hard object).
'fræk.tʃər
To break or cause to break.
The climber fractured his ankle during the accident.
💡 Simply: Imagine you drop a plate, and it breaks into pieces. That's what it means to fracture something! Your bone can get a fracture too, like a crack.
👶 For kids: To break something, like a bone or a toy.
More Examples
The sudden impact fractured the glass window.
The political party fractured due to internal disagreements.
How It's Used
"The doctor said the bone fractured during the fall."
"The organization fractured after the leadership dispute."
A break or crack in a bone, or the act or process of breaking something.
'fræk.tʃər
The act or result of breaking something.
The doctor diagnosed a hairline fracture in her wrist.
💡 Simply: A fracture is like a crack. Like when you drop a plate and it gets a fracture. It can also mean when you break a bone. Ouch!
👶 For kids: When something is broken, like a bone or a toy.
More Examples
The earthquake caused a fracture in the Earth's crust.
The incident resulted in a bone fracture.
How It's Used
"He suffered a fracture in his arm after the car accident."
"The rock formation showed a clear fracture line."
Idioms & expressions
hairline fracture
A very thin crack in a bone.
"The doctor confirmed it was just a hairline fracture, so I didn't need a cast."
fracture the relationship
To severely damage or ruin a relationship.
"The argument with my friend fractured our relationship."
From Latin *fractura*, meaning 'a breaking', derived from *frangere*, meaning 'to break'.
Used in medical contexts as early as the 14th century, and also used in a figurative sense in literature and other forms of writing.
Memory tip
Imagine a cracked plate; it's been fractured.