fract
Latinbreak, break apart
About This Root
From Latin frangere (to break), past participle frāctum. Variants include frag- and -fring-. Produces fracture (a break), fraction (a broken-off piece), fragment (a broken bit), fragile (easily broken), and fractious (irritable, ready to break out). Infraction (a broken rule) and refractory (resistant to breaking) show the root in legal and technical contexts.
Associated Words · 13
break
To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly; An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces
fraction
A small part of a whole; a mathematical ratio expressed as one number over another
fragile
Easily broken or damaged; delicate and not strong
fragment
A small broken-off piece; to break into pieces
fracture
A break or crack, especially in a bone; to break or crack
unbroken
Whole and undamaged; continuous; not tamed
infraction
A minor violation of a rule or law
infringe
To violate a law or right; to encroach on something
windbreaker
A light jacket that protects against wind
fractious
Easily irritated, quarrelsome, or hard to control
fractional
Relating to a fraction; very small or partial
refraction
The bending of light or sound waves when passing between different media
refractory
Stubbornly resistant or unruly; not responding to treatment; a heat-resistant material