fragment

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

/ noun ˈfræg mənt; verb ˈfræg mənt, -mɛnt, frægˈmɛnt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fragment ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a part broken off or detached: scattered fragments of the broken vase.

an isolated, unfinished, or incomplete part: She played a fragment of her latest composition.

an odd piece, bit, or scrap.

verb (used without object)

to collapse or break into fragments; disintegrate: The chair fragmented under his weight.

verb (used with object)

to break (something) into pieces or fragments; cause to disintegrate: Outside influences soon fragmented the Mayan culture.

to divide into fragments; disunify.

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.

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Origin of fragment

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; see origin at break,-ment

synonym study for fragment

1-3. See part.

Words nearby fragment

fragile X-chromosome, fragile X syndrome, fragility, fragility of blood, fragility test, fragment, fragmental, fragmentary, fragmentate, fragmentation, fragmentation bomb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fragment

I still get bloody noses at random times, and will for the rest of my life — a bone fragment that didn’t heal properly is just kind of floating in there.
The Accidental Attempted Murder|Eugene Robinson|September 2, 2020|Ozy
Sometimes these rock fragments, floating in outer space, enter Earth’s atmosphere, where gravity pulls them in.
Meteorites From Mars Contain Clues About the Red Planet’s Geology|Arya Udry|June 17, 2020|Singularity Hub
Genes are fragments of DNA that determine how an organism looks and acts.
Decades-long project is linking our health to the environment|Lindsey Konkel|March 12, 2020|Science News For Students
The fragment is written in Coptic, not Greek, and is not actually from the Bible, as the title would indicate.
Dismembering History: The Shady Online Trade in Ancient Texts|Candida Moss|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It really is startling that not one fragment of an airplane that weighed 250 tons has yet turned up.
MH370 Debris Is Lost Forever, Can the Plane Be Found Without It?|Clive Irving|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A fragment penetrated her shoulder, missing a major artery by an inch.
The Israeli App Red Alert Saves Lives—but It Just Might Drive You Nuts|Itay Hod|July 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Day 50 of the search for Flight MH370 has come and gone without one fragment of the Boeing 777 being found.
Why Is Malaysia Hiding Its Report on MH370?|Clive Irving|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a subsequent line the fragment refers to a “Mary” and says that she “is worthy.”
The ‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’ is Still as Big a Mystery as Ever|Candida Moss|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Its reception was cold and only one fragment seemed to satisfy the large audience which filled the hall.
My Recollections|Jules Massenet
Amateurs often think it is much easier to write a "fragment" than to write a complete anything.
The Lure of the Pen|Flora Klickmann
At one time it brought up in the mud a small stone half the size of an almond; and at another a fragment as large as a brick.
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph|Henry M. (Henry Martyn) Field
But this, as the proverb has it,A fragment from the earlier history of Agathocles.
The Histories of Polybius, Vol. II (of 2)|Polybius
And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel bill, which interests me deeply.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|A. Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for fragment

fragment

noun (ˈfræɡmənt)

a piece broken off or detachedfragments of rock

an incomplete piece; portionfragments of a novel

a scrap; morsel; bit

verb (fræɡˈmɛnt) Also US: fragmentize (ˈfræɡmənˌtaɪz)

to break or cause to break into fragments

Word Origin for fragment

C15: from Latin fragmentum, from frangere to break

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

Medical definitions for fragment

fragment

[ frăg′mənt ]

n.

A small part broken off or detached.

An incomplete or isolated portion; a bit.

v.

To break or separate into fragments.

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