fracture
UK: ˈfræk.tʃər | US: ˈfræk.tʃɚ
n. a break or crack in a hard object or material (e.g., bone, rock)
vt. to cause something to break or crack
vi. to break or crack
fracture = fract<break> + ure<noun suffix>
- fract (from Latin fractus, past participle of frangere "to break")
- ure (noun-forming suffix indicating action or result, from Latin -ura)
Etymology Origin:
The word "fracture" traces back to Latin frangere ("to break"), which also gave rise to words like "fraction" and "fragile." The suffix -ure was adopted from Latin to denote the result of an action, turning the verb "break" into a noun describing the broken state. The logic is straightforward: fract (break) + ure (result) = "the result of breaking."
The X-ray revealed a small fracture in his wrist.
The earthquake caused fractures in several buildings.
She fractured her ankle while skiing.
The glass fractured into sharp pieces upon impact.
Geologists study rock fractures to understand tectonic activity.