# fragment

Pronunciation: say "FRAG-muhnt" /ˈfɹæɡmənt/

## Noun

1. A part broken off something, or a small detached piece, whether physical or otherwise.
   - Simple: A small piece that has broken off something larger.
   - _Archaeologists rebuilt much of the vase from a single fragment._
   - _He could recall only fragments of the conversation afterward._
2. A string of words missing a subject or a predicate, and so failing to form a complete sentence.
   - Simple: A group of words that is missing a subject or a verb, so it is not a full sentence.
   - _The editor flagged a fragment that was missing its verb._
   - _Writers sometimes use fragments deliberately for emphasis._
5. An incomplete portion of computer code.
   - Simple: A small, unfinished piece of computer code.
   - _The developer shared a fragment that handled the login step._
   - _Several fragments were combined into one working module._
6. The portion of a URL after the # sign, pointing to a subordinate resource or a specific point on a web page.
   - Simple: The part of a web address after the # sign that points to a spot on a page.
   - _Clicking the menu item appends a fragment to the URL._
   - _The fragment after the hash scrolls the page to a named anchor._
8. A piece split from an organism during asexual reproduction, which then develops into a new individual.
   - Simple: A piece of a living thing that breaks off and grows into a new individual.
   - _Each fragment of the flatworm regenerated into a separate worm._
   - _Gardeners propagate the plant from fragments that root on their own._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "frag-MENT" /fɹæɡˈmɛnt/

3. To cause something to break into pieces.
   - Simple: To break something into many small pieces.
   - _Repeated freezing can fragment the stone over many winters._
   - _The explosion fragmented the windshield into countless pieces._
4. To break apart into separate pieces.
   - Simple: To break into separate pieces.
   - _The old alliance began to fragment into rival camps._
   - _Under pressure, the committee fragmented into competing factions._
7. To break up a file and spread its pieces across non-contiguous areas of a disk.
   - Simple: To store a file in scattered pieces across a disk instead of in one place.
   - _Frequent writes will fragment the file into pieces spread across the disk._
   - _The operating system fragmented the database as it grew._
9. Of an organism, to split into pieces, each of which then grows into a new individual.
   - Simple: Of a living thing, to split into pieces that each grow into a new individual.
   - _Certain sea anemones fragment to produce genetically identical offspring._
   - _Under stress, the alga fragmented into several growing pieces._

## Origin

From Late Middle English fragment, from Latin fragmentum ("a fragment, remnant"), formed from frangō ("to break") plus the suffix -mentum.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fragment (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).