From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.
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2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.
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3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a
compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.
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{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.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Comminute \Com"mi*nute\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Comminuted}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Comminuting}.] [L. comminutus, p. p. of
comminuere to comminute; com- + minuere to lessen. See
{Minute}.]
To reduce to minute particles, or to a fine powder; to
pulverize; to triturate; to grind; as, to comminute chalk or
bones; to comminute food with the teeth. --Pennant.
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{Comminuted fracture}. See under {Fracture}.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
comminuted fracture
n 1: fracture in which the bone is splintered or crushed
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