mass noun
1
- the cracking or breaking of a hard object or material破裂, 断裂, 折断：
ground movements could cause fracture of the pipe.
地面活动可能会使管道断裂。
1.1
- count noun a crack or break in a hard object or material, typically a bone or a rock stratum（尤指岩层的）裂缝, 裂痕; 骨折：
a fracture of the left leg.
左腿骨折。
1.2
- the physical appearance of a freshly broken rock or mineral, especially as regards the shape of the surface formed（刚断裂的岩石或矿石的）断口, 断面。
2
- Phonetics the replacement of a simple vowel by a diphthong owing to the influence of a following sound, typically a consonant【语音】元音割裂。
2.1
- count noun a diphthong substituted in this way由单元音割裂成的复合元音。
1
- break or cause to break分裂; 使破裂, 使折断：
no obj. the stone has fractured这块石头已经断裂了
with obj. ancient magmas fractured by the forces of wind and ice.被风和冰的力量弄裂的古代岩浆。
1.1
- with obj. sustain a fracture of (a bone)遭受（骨的）断裂：
as adj. fractured she suffered a fractured skull.她颅骨骨折了。
1.2
- figurative (with reference to an organization or other abstract thing) split or fragment so as to no longer function or exist〈喻〉（组织机构或抽象事物的）瓦解; 分裂, 破裂：
no obj. the movement had fractured without his leadership.这一运动在他未参与领导的情况下破裂了。
1.3
- as adj. fractured(of speech or a language) broken（讲话, 语言）不流利的, 结结巴巴的。
词源
late Middle English: from French, or from Latin fractura, from frangere 'to break'.