3  definitions  found 
 
  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  1.6  [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  fracture  in  the  earth's  crust  with  displacement 
  of  one  side  with  respect  to  the  other  "they  built  it 
  right  on  the  San  Andreas  fault"  [syn:  {fault},  {geological 
  fault},  {fault  line},  {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:  "She  broke  her  clavicle" 
  6:  fracture  a  bone  of:  "I  broke  my  foot  while  playing  hockey" 
  [syn:  {break}] 

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