A fracture is a break or crack in something hard, most commonly a bone. When a doctor says you've fractured your arm, it means the bone has cracked or broken, usually from a fall, collision, or other impact. Fractures range from tiny hairline cracks you might barely notice to complete breaks where the bone snaps in two.

It applies beyond bones to anything rigid that cracks under pressure. Engineers worry about fractures in bridges or buildings, geologists study fractures in rock formations, and even a strong friendship can fracture under the strain of a serious disagreement.

When used as a verb, to fracture means to cause such a break. You might fracture your wrist playing sports, or fracture a fragile vase by dropping it. In a more figurative sense, a community can become fractured when people divide into opposing groups and stop working together.

The key idea behind fracture is that something once whole and solid has broken apart, whether that's a physical object like a bone or something less tangible like trust or unity.