fragment

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

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

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fragment

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

VOCAB BUILDER

What does fragment mean?

A fragment is a piece that has been broken off of or detached from something else.

Fragment most commonly refers to a part that has broken off rather than one that has been separated gently or intentionally, as in The vase smashed into a million fragments. A bone fragment is a (usually small) piece that has been chipped off from a bone.

Fragment is also used to refer to a part or portion of something that is incomplete or isolated from the whole, such as a fragment of a movie or piece of music.

Sometimes, fragment just means a piece, bit, or scrap (regardless of whether it has been removed from a larger part).

As a verb, fragment can mean to break into pieces or disintegrate, as in The empire fragmented into multiple states after the emperor’s death. It can also mean to cause to break into pieces or disintegrate. Less commonly, it can mean to divide into fragments.

Fragment is also used as a verb in a much more specific way in the context of computers, in which it means to store data files in a way that breaks them up. The opposite of this sense of fragment is defragment—to bringing the parts of the files back together.

The word fragment is used in the formation of many related words, including adjectives, nouns, and verbs.

The adjective fragmented describes things that have been broken into fragments or things that are or have been disorganized or disunified in some way. The adjective fragmentary means consisting of or reduced to fragments—disconnected or incomplete, as in fragmentary evidence.

Fragmentation is the process of breaking into fragments. The verb fragmentize can mean to break something into fragments or separate it into parts, as in They’re going to fragmentize the corporation into several companies. It can also mean for something to break into fragments (without someone doing the fragmentizing).

Example: The pirate captain tore the map into fragments, placing the pieces into separate bottles and scattering them across the seven seas.

Where does fragment come from?

The first records of the word fragment come from around 1400. It ultimately comes from the Latin fragmentum, meaning “a broken piece,” from the verb frangere, meaning “to break.” The word fragile also comes from frangere.

Fragment is similar to other words that mean pieces of a whole, such as part, piece, section, slice, or portion. When it’s used in the context of physical things, fragment usually refers to a piece that has been roughly broken off, often resulting in rough edges or an irregular shape. Such a fragment is usually a small piece and is often useless by itself.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to fragment?

fragmented (past tense verb, adjective)
fragmentary (adjective)
fragmental (adjective)

What are some synonyms for fragment?

What are some words that share a root or word element with fragment?

What are some words that often get used in discussing fragment?

How is fragment used in real life?

Fragment is a common word that’s used in all kinds of context involving parts or portions of things. It’s perhaps most commonly used to refer to small, broken pieces of physical objects.

So apparently I broke my leg in August and have been walking around with bone fragments in my ankle ever since.
😬

— Simon Gilbert (@TheSimonGilbert) February 3, 2020

Line of thunderstorms is starting to fragment and weaken but still moving eastwards pic.twitter.com/KhxJ6BEeQV

— Cecilia Daly (@WeatherCee) August 25, 2016

Humans are fascinating. Each, individual human creature is a galaxy of thought, experience, and emotion. You could dedicate your entire time here on earth to exploring just a fragment of one of these “galaxies” and your life would not be wasted.

— john mark (already voted so don't talk to me) (@johnmarkmc) May 4, 2020

Try using fragment!

Which of the following words is a synonym of fragment?

A. part
B. piece
C. portion
D. all of the above

Example sentences from the Web for fragment

He held up a fist-size chunk of sandy brown rock embedded with a dark, ridged oblong shape, unmistakably a plant or shell fragment.
11 Great Microadventures You Can Do Now|The Editors|October 1, 2020|Outside Online
We humans all have an inborn tendency to create a plausible story out of memory fragments.
You can’t completely trust your memories|David Linden|September 30, 2020|Popular Science
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
Even the medium of streaming is being shattered into ever tinier fragments by the likes of Instagram, Quibi and TikTok.
‘Sunset Boulevard’ of broken dreams|David Ehrenstein|August 20, 2020|Washington Blade

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
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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