Hypertext Webster Gateway: "fracture"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Fracture \Frac"ture\ (?; 135), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Fractured}
(#; 135); p. pr. & vb. n.. {Fracturing}.] [Cf. F. fracturer.]
To cause a fracture or fractures in; to break; to burst
asunder; to crack; to separate the continuous parts of; as,
to fracture a bone; to fracture the skull.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Fracture \Frac"ture\ (?; 135), n. [L. fractura, fr. frangere,
fractum, to break: cf. F. fracture. See {Fraction}.]
1. The act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach.

2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.

3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a
compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.

{Comminuted fracture} (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone
is broken into several parts.

{Complicated fracture} (Surg.), a fracture of the bone
combined with the lesion of some artery, nervous trunk, or
joint.

{Compound fracture} (Surg.), a fracture in which there is an
open wound from the surface down to the fracture.

{Simple fracture} (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone only
is ruptured. It does not communicate with the surface by
an open wound.

Syn: {Fracture}, {Rupture}.

Usage: These words denote different kinds of breaking,
according to the objects to which they are applied.
Fracture is applied to hard substances; as, the
fracture of a bone. Rupture is oftener applied to soft
substances; as, the rupture of a blood vessel. It is
also used figuratively. ``To be an enemy and once to
have been a friend, does it not embitter the
rupture?'' --South.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

fracture
n 1: breaking of hard tissue such as bone; "it was a nasty
fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a
fall" [syn: {break}]
2: (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the
displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they
built it right over a geological fault" [syn: {fault}, {geological
fault}, {shift}, {break}]
3: the act of cracking something [syn: {crack}, {cracking}]
v 1: violate or abuse; "This writer really fractures the
language"
2: interrupt, break, or destroy; "fracture the balance of
power"
3: break into pieces; "The pothole fractured a bolt on the
axle"
4: become fractured: "The tibia fractured from the blow of the
iron pipe"
5: break, as of a bone: "She broke her clavicle"
6: fracture a bone of: "I broke my foot while playing hockey"
[syn: {break}]


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