fragmental
Americanadjective
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(of rocks or deposits) composed of fragments of pre-existing rocks and minerals
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another word for fragmentary
Usage
What does fragmental mean? The adjective fragmental means consisting of or reduced to fragments—pieces that have been broken off of or detached from something else. The adjective fragmentary is more commonly used to mean the same thing. The fossilized remains of a dinosaur might be described as fragmental if they exist in many different pieces, and perhaps some of the pieces are missing. The word 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, fragmental is used to describe things as disjointed, disconnected, or incomplete. This sense of the word is most commonly used to describe intangible or abstract things, as in fragmental evidence or a fragmental proposal. The adjective fragmented describes things that have been broken into fragments or things that are or have been disorganized or disunified in some way, such as an empire that was once unified but is now fragmented. The word fragmental is used in a more specific way in the context of geology to describe rocks or mineral deposits made up of fragments of other rocks and minerals. Example: Scholars have been able to piece together the text from the fragmental remains of the ancient parchment.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fragmental
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our understanding went from rudimentary and fragmental to advanced and unified with breathtaking speed, leaving this poor book wallowing in suddenly outdated ideas.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 21, 2019
The original porphyritic, fluidal, vesicular or fragmental structures of the igneous rock are clearly visible in the less advanced stages of hornfelsing, but become less evident as the alteration progresses.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6 "Home, Daniel" to "Hortensius, Quintus" by Various
These are similar in composition to the leaner iron ores of Brazil, called itabirite, but differ in that the silica is in the form of chemically deposited chert, rather than fragmental quartz grains.
From The Economic Aspect of Geology by C. K. (Charles Kenneth) Leith
Hence the form or outline of many of these fragmental craters is crescent-shaped.
From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Edward Hull
But such a deep impression is not made by a superficial or fragmental study of the poem.
From Special Method in the Reading of Complete English Classics In the Grades of the Common School by Charles A. (Charles Alexander) McMurry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
