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Where does the word "fracture" come from? It comes from Latin fractura, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
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Where does the word "fracture" come from? It comes from Latin fractura, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
Fracture’s story begins in Latin: fractura meant “a breaking.” A breaking, from frangere (to break). It reached English by 1400s as fracture. Settled as the medical word for a broken bone. Today, fracture means a break or crack, especially in a bone.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fractura "a breaking", a breaking, from frangere (to break).
- Stage 2 · English · 1400s fracture "a break, especially in a bone", settled as the medical word for a broken bone.