frac´tur|a|ble

frac|ture «FRAK chuhr», noun, verb, -tured, -tur|ing.

–n.

1. the act or fact of breaking a bone or cartilage: »

In the comminuted fracture, the bone splinters (Claude Lambert).

2. the act or fact of breaking or the state of being broken: »

a fracture of the ice, a fracture of friendly relations.

3. the result of breaking; break or crack: »

The fracture in the foundation is widening.

SYNONYM(S): division, split.

4. Mineralogy. a) the way in which a mineral breaks. b) the appearance of the surface of a freshly broken mineral.

–v.t.

1. to break or crack.

2. to cause a fracture in (a bone or cartilage): »

The boy fell from a tree and fractured his arm.

3. U.S. Slang. to overwhelm with humor, feeling, magnificence, or the like: »

Big receptions and honors just fracture me.

–v.i.

to undergo fracture; crack: »

Then propellers bend, sometimes fracture, sometimes break, in the crush of hardpacked pack ice (Newsweek).

╂[< Old French fracture, learned borrowing from Latin frāctūra < frangere to break]

–frac´tur|a|ble, adjective.