fissure
UK: ˈfɪʃ.ər | US: ˈfɪʃ.ɚ
n. a narrow opening or crack, especially in rock or earth
n. (anatomy) a groove or split in a bodily structure
n. (figurative) a division or disagreement
fissure = fiss<split> + ure<noun suffix>
- fiss (from Latin fissus, past participle of findere "to split")
- ure (noun-forming suffix indicating state or result, from Latin -ura)
Etymology Origin:
The word "fissure" traces back to Latin fissura, derived from findere ("to split"). The root fiss preserves the core idea of splitting, while -ure turns it into a noun denoting the result of that action. Over time, the term expanded from physical cracks (e.g., in rocks) to anatomical grooves (e.g., brain fissures) and metaphorical divisions (e.g., societal fissures).
The earthquake created a deep fissure in the ground.
The surgeon carefully avoided the fissures in the patient’s liver.
Political fissures within the party became apparent during the debate.
Lava erupted through a fissure in the volcano’s side.
Over time, water widened the fissure in the limestone cliff.