fragment

[ noun frag-muhnt; verb frag-muhnt, -ment, frag-ment ]

noun

1. a part broken off or detached:

   scattered fragments of the broken vase.

2. an isolated, unfinished, or incomplete part:

   She played a fragment of her latest composition.

3. an odd piece, bit, or scrap.

verb (used without object)

1. to collapse or break into fragments; disintegrate:

   The chair fragmented under his weight.

verb (used with object)

1. to break (something) into pieces or fragments; cause to disintegrate:

   Outside influences soon fragmented the Mayan culture.

2. to divide into fragments; disunify.
3. Computers. to store (data from a file) in noncontiguous sectors on a disk drive, splitting the file into smaller pieces and breaking up available free space on the disk. Compare defragment ( def ).

fragment

noun

1. a piece broken off or detached

   fragments of rock

2. an incomplete piece; portion

   fragments of a novel

3. a scrap; morsel; bit

verb

1. to break or cause to break into fragments

Word History and Origins

Origin of fragment¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin fragmentum “a broken piece, remnant,” equivalent to frag- (stem of frangere “to break, shatter” ) + -mentum noun suffix; break, -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of fragment¹

C15: from Latin fragmentum , from frangere to break

Synonym Study

See part.

Example Sentences

The fragment is written in Coptic, not Greek, and is not actually from the Bible, as the title would indicate.

From The Daily Beast

It really is startling that not one fragment of an airplane that weighed 250 tons has yet turned up.

From The Daily Beast

If it falls apart, then the “Caliphate” will almost certainly fragment, too.

From The Daily Beast

A fragment penetrated her shoulder, missing a major artery by an inch.

From The Daily Beast

Day 50 of the search for Flight MH370 has come and gone without one fragment of the Boeing 777 being found.

From The Daily Beast

It is undoubtedly true if we look at any little portion of business activity taken as a fragment by itself.

From Project Gutenberg

It is somewhat curious that, previous to the publication of Christabel, there appeared a conclusion to that splendid fragment.

From Project Gutenberg

Fragment, apparently from a columnar mass, of a stone intermediate between clink-stone and compact felspar.

From Project Gutenberg

The author of this fragment writes in the style which seems to belong to the primitive ages.

From Project Gutenberg

The independent Moquis are a fragment of the ancient ruling race of New Mexico.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disintegrate
• splinter