fissure

American  

[fish-er] / ˈfɪʃ ər /

noun

1. a narrow opening produced by cleavage or separation of parts.

2. cleavage.

3. Anatomy. a natural division or groove in an organ, as in the brain.

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verb (used with object)

fissured, fissuring

1. to make fissures in; cleave; split.

verb (used without object)

fissured, fissuring

1. to open in fissures; become split.

fissure British  

/ ˈfɪʃə /

noun

1. any long narrow cleft or crack, esp in a rock

2. a weakness or flaw indicating impending disruption or discord

   fissures in a decaying empire

3. anatomy a narrow split or groove that divides an organ such as the brain, lung, or liver into lobes See also sulcus

4. a small unnatural crack in the skin or mucous membrane, as between the toes or at the anus

5. a minute crack in the surface of a tooth, caused by imperfect joining of enamel during development

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verb

1. to crack or split apart

fissure Scientific  

/ fĭsh′ər /

1. A long, narrow crack or opening in the face of a rock. Fissures are often filled with minerals of a different type from those in the surrounding rock.

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Other Word Forms

• fissural adjective
• fissureless adjective
• subfissure noun
• superfissure noun

Etymology

Origin of fissure

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin fissūra cleaving, cleft, fissure, equivalent to fiss ( us ) divided ( fissi- ) + -ūra -ure

Example Sentences

The fossil remains were recovered from fissure deposits located on both sides of the Bristol Channel in southern Wales and southwest England.

From Science Daily

The platinum spike may have come from a volcanic fissure eruption in Iceland rather than an object from space.

From Science Daily

Fittingly, the sound creates a crack in one of the home’s windows: Via that fissure, the unfolding apocalypse creeps into their lives.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fracking involves injecting high-pressure liquid between layers of rock to force open fissures and release any oil and natural gas stored there.

From BBC

Early activity involved lava spreading out from fissures in the ground, while later eruptions came from more focused vents that built cone shaped features.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cleavage
• crevice