[W/K] :: Fracture

  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.
     [1913 Webster] frenulum

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a
        compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
            [1913 Webster]

  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 (a bone); "She broke her clavicle"
       6: fracture a bone of; "I broke my foot while playing hockey"
          [syn: break]

  179 Moby Thesaurus words for "fracture":
     abrade, abrasion, abysm, abyss, amuse, arroyo, bark, beguile,
     blemish, bloody, box canyon, breach, break, break open, break up,
     breakage, breaking, burn, burst, bust, canyon, cavity, chafe, chap,
     chasm, check, chimney, chink, chip, claw, cleavage, cleave, cleft,
     cleuch, clough, col, come apart, come unstuck, concussion,
     convulse, coulee, couloir, crack, crackle, cranny, craze, crevasse,
     crevice, cut, cut apart, cwm, defile, delight, dell, dike,
     disintegrate, ditch, divert, division, donga, draw, enliven,
     entertain, excavation, exfoliate, exhilarate, fall to pieces,
     fault, fissure, flash burn, flaw, flume, fracture one, fray,
     frazzle, fret, furrow, gall, gap, gape, gash, give away, give way,
     gorge, groove, gulch, gulf, gully, hole, hurt, incise, incision,
     injure, injury, joint, kill, kloof, knock dead, lacerate,
     laceration, leak, lesion, loosen up, maim, make mincemeat of, maul,
     moat, mortal wound, mutilate, mutilation, notch, nullah, open,
     opening, pass, passage, pierce, puncture, raise a laugh,
     raise a smile, ravine, recreate, refresh, regale, relax, rend,
     rent, rift, rime, rip, rive, run, rupture, savage, scald, scale,
     schism, scissure, scorch, scotch, scrape, scratch, scuff, seam,
     second-degree burn, separate, separation, skin, slash, slay, slice,
     slit, slot, snap, solace, sore, splinter, split, sprain,
     spring a leak, stab, stab wound, start, stick, strain, tear,
     third-degree burn, tickle, titillate, trauma, traumatize, trench,
     valley, void, wadi, wound, wounds immedicable, wow, wrench