Fracture: meaning, definitions and examples

Medical or scientific settings when referring to a bone that has broken or cracks in structures like rocks.

• The X-ray showed a fracture in her arm.
• Geologists studied the fractures in the rock formation.

Everyday language to describe something that is physically split into pieces or does not work anymore.

• He had to go to the hospital because he broke his leg.
• Don't drop that vase, it might break.

Describing something with a fissure or partial break that hasn't fully separated into pieces.

• There's a crack in the windshield.
• She noticed a crack in the wall.

General term for harm or damage to the body, often used in both medical and everyday settings.

• He suffered an injury during the football game.
• The nurse treated her injury quickly.

Used in medical or geological situations to describe bones or rocks that have been partially or completely broken.

• The X-ray showed a small fracture in his wrist.
• The earthquake caused a fracture in the bedrock.

General term applicable in various situations where something is separated into pieces. Often used for bones or objects.

• Be careful, you might break the vase.
• He suffered a leg break during the football game.

Describes a line or small fissure on the surface of an object, indicating the beginning of a break. Often used for walls, eggs, and other objects.

• There’s a crack in the wall that needs to be fixed.
• She noticed a fine crack in the china plate.

Describes something breaking into many small pieces, typically used for glass or other brittle materials.

• The glass vase fell and shattered all over the floor.
• His phone screen shattered when he dropped it.