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compound fracture

American  

noun

  1. a fracture in which the broken bone is exposed through a wound in the skin.


compound fracture British  

noun

  1. a fracture in which the broken bone either pierces the skin or communicates with an open wound

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of compound fracture

First recorded in 1535–45

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Example Sentences

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Compound fracture is where the broken bone sticks out through the skin.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson