fragment (n.)

early 15c., "small piece or part," from Latin fragmentum "a fragment, remnant," literally "a piece broken off," from base of frangere "to break" (from PIE root *bhreg- "to break").

fragment (v.)

by 1788 (implied in fragmented), from fragment (n.). Intransitive use from 1961. Related: Fragmenting.

Entries linking to fragment

*bhreg-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to break."

It forms all or part of: anfractuous; Brabant; bracken; brake (n.1) "stopping device for a wheel;" brake (n.2) "kind of fern;" brash; breach; break; breccia; breeches; brioche; chamfer; defray; diffraction; fractal; fraction; fractious; fracture; fragile; fragility; fragment; frail; frangible; infraction; infringe; irrefragable; irrefrangible; naufragous; ossifrage; refract; refraction; refrain (n.); refrangible; sassafras; saxifrage; suffragan; suffrage.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit (giri)-bhraj "breaking-forth (out of the mountains);" Latin frangere "to break (something) in pieces, shatter, fracture;" Lithuanian braškėti "crash, crack;" Old Irish braigim "break wind;" Gothic brikan, Old English brecan "to break."

defragment (v.)

1992, "reduce the fragmentation of (computer files) by reuniting parts stored in separate locations on a disk," from de- + fragment (v.) . Related: Defragmented; defragmenting.

fragmentation

fragmentary

See all related words (4) >

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Definitions of fragment

fragment (n.)

a piece broken off or cut off of something else;

a fragment of rock

fragment (n.)

a broken piece of a brittle artifact;

Synonyms: shard / sherd

fragment (n.)

an incomplete piece;

fragments of a play

fragment (v.)

break or cause to break into pieces;

The plate fragmented

Synonyms: break up / fragmentize / fragmentise

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near fragment

fractious

fracture

frag

fragile

fragility

fragment

fragmentary

fragmentation

fragrance

fragrant

fraidy-cat