Word: Fragment

Pronunciation

/ˈfræɡmənt/

Definitions

• Noun: A small part broken off or detached from something larger; a piece or segment remaining after the breakage or destruction of something. For example: “The archaeologist pieced together ancient fragments of pottery.”

  • In literature: A portion of a sentence, discourse, or writing that does not form a complete unit; an incomplete piece. Example: “The surviving fragment of the poem gives us a glimpse into its author’s style.”
  • In music: An incomplete or isolated portion of a composition. Example: “A fragment of Beethoven’s unfinished symphony was found among his papers.”

• Verb: (fragmentize) To break or cause to break into pieces or parts; to become fragmented. Example: “The explosion fragmented the rock into countless tiny shards.”

  • In language: To split a sentence or text into disconnected parts, often making it difficult to understand. Example: “His stream-of-consciousness writing tends to fragment the narrative.”

Phrases

• “Fragmentation”: The process of breaking up into smaller pieces or segments, often referring to data storage, land division, or social structures.
• “Sentence fragment”: A grammatical error where a group of words does not form a complete sentence, lacking either a subject or a verb.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The puzzle pieces were mostly fragments from different puzzles, making it nearly impossible to complete.”
• Verb: “Over time, erosion has fragmented the cliff face into numerous rocks and boulders.”

Synonyms

• Remnant
• Piece
• Shard
• Segment
• Section (noun)
• Break up
• Shatter
• Splinter (verb)