fracture

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] a break in a bone or other hard material: a fracture of the leg / skull * a compound / simple fracture (= one in which the broken bone comes / does not come through the skin) * Cracks and fractures are appearing in the ancient wall. 2 [U] the fact of sth breaking, especially a bone: Old people's bones are more prone to fracture. * Research has shown that hormone replacement therapy can reduce the risk of fracture by 50 to 60 per cent. verb 1 to break or crack; to make sth break or crack: [V] His leg fractured in two places. * [VN] She fell and fractured her skull. * a fractured pipeline 2 (formal) (of a society, organization, etc.) to split into several parts so that it no longer functions or exists; to split a society or organization, etc. in this way: [V] Many people predicted that the party would fracture and split. * [VN] The company was fractured into several smaller groups. fractured adjective [usuallybeforenoun]: He suffered a badly fractured arm. * (figurative) They spoke a sort of fractured German.