fracture

A break or crack in a bone or in the firm material around a joint.

• She has a fracture in her arm.
• The doctor treated his hip fracture.
• Some fractures take several months to heal.

How to use it: fracture of something (The scan showed a fracture of the wrist.)

Similar words: break

Common phrases: bone fracture, hip fracture, stress fracture

A break in something, or the place where it has broken.

• There is a fracture in the glass.
• The sudden fracture caused the bridge to fail.
• Engineers examined the fractures in the damaged metal.

How to use it: fracture in something (They found a fracture in the metal pipe.)

Similar words: break, crack

Common phrases: fracture in something, fracture point, sudden fracture

A crack or break in a rock.

• A fracture runs through the rock.
• Water filled the fractures in the cliff.
• The geologist measured each fracture in the granite.

How to use it: fracture in something (Water enters through fractures in the rock.)

Similar words: crack, fissure

Common phrases: rock fracture, fracture surface, fracture in rock

To break or crack, or to cause something to break or crack.

• He fractured his wrist.
• The glass fractured under pressure.
• She fell down the stairs and fractured two ribs.

Similar words: break, crack

Common phrases: fracture a bone, fracture your wrist, fracture under pressure