fractureleft to right: transverse, oblique, and greenstick fracturesfrac·ture (fr?k?ch?r)n.1. a. The act or process of breaking.b. The condition of having been broken or ruptured: “a sudden and irreparable fracture of the established order” (W. Bruce Lincoln).2. A break, rupture, or crack, especially in bone or cartilage.3. Mineralogy a. The characteristic manner in which a mineral breaks.b. The characteristic appearance of the surface of a broken mineral.4. Geology A crack or fault in a rock.v. frac·tured, frac·tur·ing, frac·tures v.tr.1. a. To cause to break: The impact of the fall fractured the bone. See Synonyms at break.b. To undergo a break in (a bone): He fractured his ankle in the fall.2. To disrupt or destroy as if by breaking: fractured the delicate balance of power.3. To abuse or misuse flagrantly, as by violating rules: ignorant writers who fracture the language.4. Slang To cause to laugh heartily: “Jack Benny fractured audiences … for more than 50 years” (Newsweek).v.intr. To undergo a fracture.[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin fr?ct?ra, from fr?ctus, past participle of frangere, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.fracture (?frækt??) n1. the act of breaking or the state of being broken2. (Pathology) a. the breaking or cracking of a bone or the tearing of a cartilageb. the resulting condition. See also Colles’ fracture, comminuted fracture, compound fracture, greenstick fracture, impacted23. a division, split, or breach4. (Geological Science) mineralogy a. the characteristic appearance of the surface of a freshly broken mineral or rockb. the way in which a mineral or rock naturally breaksvb5. to break or cause to break; split6. (Pathology) to break or crack (a bone) or (of a bone) to become broken or cracked7. (Pathology) to tear (a cartilage) or (of a cartilage) to become torn[C15: from Old French, from Latin fract?ra, from frangere to break] ?fracturable adj ?fractural adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014frac?ture (?fræk t??r) n., v. -tured, -tur?ing. n. 1. the breaking of a bone, cartilage, or the like, or the resulting condition. Compare compound fracture. 2. the act of breaking or the state of being broken. 3. a break; split. 4. the characteristic manner of breaking. 5. the characteristic appearance of a broken surface, as of a mineral. v.t. 6. to cause or to suffer a fracture in. 7. to break; crack. 8. Slang. to amuse highly. v.i. 9. to become fractured; break. [1375?1425; late Middle English