fracture zone

noun

: an area of suboceanic crust characterized by fractures

Examples of fracture zone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Earthquakes are caused by a slip on a fault, which is a fracture zone between two blocks of rock. — Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024 The gate is located in the Babadag fracture zone, an active seismic zone that originally created openings that allowed the carbon dioxide to escape the Earth. — Lauren Sigfusson, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fracture zone was in 1946

Rhymes for fracture zone

See All Rhymes for fracture zone

Browse Nearby Words

fracture plane
fracture zone
fra diavolo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fracture zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fracture%20zone. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

fracture zone

noun
: the area of bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels affected by or surrounding a bone fracture
This cytokine cascade recruits the cells of repair such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and osteoblasts, into the fracture zone to form the soft callus.— Eric T. Becken et al., Head, Face, and Neck Trauma: Comprehensive Managment

More from Merriam-Webster on fracture zone

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fracture zone

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All