A fracture's the (local) separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress. The word fracture's often applied to bones of living creatures, or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal. Sometimes, in crystalline materials, individual crystals fracture without the body actually separating into two or more pieces. Depending on the substance which's fractured, a fracture reduces strength (most substances) or inhibits transmission of li… (More on Fracture)