fracture (
http://definr.com/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]