Standard Lemma guide

fragment

noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈfɹæɡmənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛnt
  • /fɹæɡˈmɛnt/
  • /ˈfɹæɡmɛnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F R AE1 G M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A part broken off; a small, detached portion; an imperfect part, either physically or not.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a fragment of an ancient writing
  • I heard a small fragment of the conversation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chip, lump, bit, chunk, tranche, clip, crumb, crumbling, cutting, flake, fleak, fragment, hunk, mammock, ort, piece, piecemeal, portion, scrap, scraplet, slice, snead, snippet, steck

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sentence not containing a subject or a predicate; a sentence fragment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An incomplete portion of code.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A portion of a URL referring to a subordinate resource or anchor (such as a specific point on a web page), introduced by the # sign.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet

Examples

  • The URL www.example.com/home#recent ends with a fragment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A split piece of an organism that has undergone the asexual reproduction process where the organism splits into one or more pieces, then those pieces become new individuals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To break apart.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To cause to be broken into pieces.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To break up and disperse (a file) into non-contiguous areas of a disk.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

Of an organism: to undergo the asexual reproduction process where an organism spilts into one or more pieces, then those pieces become new individuals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

a broken piece of a brittle artifact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shard, sherd

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: piece

Narrower terms: potsherd

11

noun

Meaning 11

an incomplete piece

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • fragments of a play

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: piece

Narrower terms: snatch, bit

12

noun

Meaning 12

a piece broken off or cut off of something else

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fragment of rock

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: part, piece

Narrower terms: bit, chip, flake, fleck, scrap, brickbat, cinder, clinker, clast, ember, coal, filing, paring, sliver, shaving, restriction fragment, scraping, spall, spawl, spark

13

verb

Meaning 13

break or cause to break into pieces

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The plate fragmented

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: break up, fragmentize, fragmentise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: break, separate, split up, fall apart, come apart

Narrower terms: atomize, atomise, grind, mash, crunch, bray, comminute, pound, sunder, splinter, sliver, rag, crumb, brecciate, crush, grate

History

Etymology

From Late Middle English fragment, from Latin fragmentum (“a fragment, remnant”), from frangō (“to break”) + -mentum.

Across languages

Translations

195 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قِطْعَة (qiṭʕa) — portion or segment of an object
  • Arabic: شَقَفَة (šaqafa) — portion or segment of an object
  • Arabic: كَسْرَة (kasra) — portion or segment of an object
  • Arabic: قِطْعة (giṭʕa) — portion or segment of an object
  • Arabic: شِقْفة (šigfa) — portion or segment of an object
  • Arabic: كَسْرة (kasra) — portion or segment of an object
  • Armenian: կտոր (ktor) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: аске́пак (askjépak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: аскалёпак (askaljópak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: аско́лак (askólak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: фрагме́нт (frahmjént) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: фрагмэ́нт (frahmént) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: абло́мак (ablómak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: адло́мак (adlómak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: зло́мак (zlómak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Belarusian: кусо́к (kusók) — portion or segment of an object
  • Bulgarian: къс (kǎs) — portion or segment of an object
  • Bulgarian: парче́ (parčé) — portion or segment of an object
  • Bulgarian: отло́мък (otlómǎk) — portion or segment of an object
  • Bulgarian: фрагме́нт (fragmént) — portion or segment of an object
  • Catalan: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 碎片 (suìpiàn) — portion or segment of an object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 碎屑 (suìxiè) — portion or segment of an object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 斷片 /断片 (duànpiàn) — portion or segment of an object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 碴兒 /碴儿 (chár) — portion or segment of an object
  • Czech: úlomek — portion or segment of an object
  • Czech: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Czech: zlomek — portion or segment of an object
  • Czech: střep — portion or segment of an object
  • Danish: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Dutch: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Esperanto: fragmento — portion or segment of an object
  • Finnish: sirpale — portion or segment of an object
  • Finnish: osanen — portion or segment of an object
  • Finnish: fragmentti — portion or segment of an object
  • French: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Galician: fragmento — portion or segment of an object
  • Galician: retrinco — portion or segment of an object
  • German: Fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • German: Bruchstück — portion or segment of an object
  • Greek: θραύσμα (thráfsma) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ancient Greek: θραῦμα (thraûma) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ancient Greek: κλάσμα (klásma) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hebrew: פָּרוּר (parur) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hebrew: רְסִיס (resís) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hindi: अंश (añś) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hindi: खंड (khaṇḍ) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hindi: टुकड़ा (ṭukṛā) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hindi: भाग (bhāg) — portion or segment of an object
  • Hungarian: töredék — portion or segment of an object
  • Hungarian: darab — portion or segment of an object
  • Indonesian: fragmen — portion or segment of an object
  • Irish: boim — portion or segment of an object
  • Irish: blúire — portion or segment of an object
  • Italian: frammento — portion or segment of an object
  • Japanese: 断片 (danpen) — portion or segment of an object
  • Japanese: 破片 (hahen) — portion or segment of an object
  • Japanese: フラグメント (furagumento) — portion or segment of an object
  • Japanese: 欠片 (kakera) — portion or segment of an object
  • Kazakh: фрагмент (fragment) — portion or segment of an object
  • Kazakh: үзік (üzık) — portion or segment of an object
  • Kazakh: үзiндi (üzindi) — portion or segment of an object
  • Korean: 조각 (jogak) — portion or segment of an object
  • Korean: 파편 (papyeon) — portion or segment of an object
  • Central Kurdish: لەت (let) — portion or segment of an object
  • Latin: fragmen — portion or segment of an object
  • Latin: fragmentum — portion or segment of an object
  • Macedonian: одломка (odlomka) — portion or segment of an object
  • Malay: serpihan — portion or segment of an object
  • Malay: fragmen — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: mōrohe — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: mōtete — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: kuru — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: rutunga — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: kongakonga — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: kora — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: korakora — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: tūāporo — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: porohanga — portion or segment of an object
  • Māori: tīmokamoka — portion or segment of an object
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bruddstykke — portion or segment of an object
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Occitan: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Old English: ġebrot — portion or segment of an object
  • Old Norse: brot — portion or segment of an object
  • Persian: قطعه (qet'e) — portion or segment of an object
  • Persian: پارچه (pârče) — portion or segment of an object
  • Polish: część — portion or segment of an object
  • Polish: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Polish: kawałek — portion or segment of an object
  • Polish: urywek — portion or segment of an object
  • Portuguese: fragmento — portion or segment of an object
  • Romanian: bucată — portion or segment of an object
  • Romanian: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Romanian: fărâmă — portion or segment of an object
  • Romanian: crâmpei — portion or segment of an object
  • Russian: оско́лок (oskólok) — portion or segment of an object
  • Russian: обло́мок (oblómok) — portion or segment of an object
  • Russian: кусо́к (kusók) — portion or segment of an object
  • Russian: фрагме́нт (fragmént) — portion or segment of an object
  • Sanskrit: खण्ड (khaṇḍa) — portion or segment of an object
  • Scots: pran — portion or segment of an object
  • Scottish Gaelic: bìdeag — portion or segment of an object
  • Scottish Gaelic: criomag — portion or segment of an object
  • Scottish Gaelic: mìr — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: фра̀гмент — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̀ломак — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀дломак — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: ко̀ма̄д — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: fràgment — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùlomak — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: òdlomak — portion or segment of an object
  • Serbo-Croatian: kòmād — portion or segment of an object
  • Slovak: úlomok — portion or segment of an object
  • Slovak: zlomok — portion or segment of an object
  • Slovak: kúsok — portion or segment of an object
  • Slovak: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Slovene: drobec — portion or segment of an object
  • Spanish: fragmento — portion or segment of an object
  • Swedish: fragment — portion or segment of an object
  • Tagalog: kapiraso — portion or segment of an object
  • Tajik: порча (porča) — portion or segment of an object
  • Turkish: parça — portion or segment of an object
  • Turkish: bölüm — portion or segment of an object
  • Turkish: kısım — portion or segment of an object
  • Turkish: kırıntı — portion or segment of an object
  • Turkish: fragman — portion or segment of an object
  • Ottoman Turkish: پارچه (parça) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ukrainian: шмат (šmat) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ukrainian: шмато́к (šmatók) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ukrainian: кусо́к (kusók) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ukrainian: ку́сень (kúsenʹ) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ukrainian: фрагме́нт (frahmént) — portion or segment of an object
  • Ukrainian: ула́мок (ulámok) — portion or segment of an object
  • Uyghur: پارچە (parche) — portion or segment of an object
  • Uzbek: parcha — portion or segment of an object
  • Yiddish: פֿראַגמענט (fragment) — portion or segment of an object
  • German: Satzfragment — grammar: a sentence
  • Greek: απόσπασμα (apóspasma) — grammar: a sentence
  • Hindi: वाक्यांश (vākyāñś) — grammar: a sentence
  • Japanese: 断片 (danpen) — grammar: a sentence
  • Russian: фрагме́нт (fragmént) — grammar: a sentence
  • Russian: отры́вок (otrývok) — grammar: a sentence
  • Ukrainian: фрагме́нт (frahmént) — grammar: a sentence
  • Ukrainian: ури́вок (urývok) — grammar: a sentence
  • Bulgarian: фрагментирам (fragmentiram) — to break apart
  • Bulgarian: раздробявам (razdrobjavam) — to break apart
  • Catalan: fragmentar — to break apart
  • Dutch: fragmenteren — to break apart
  • Finnish: särkyä — to break apart
  • Finnish: rikkoutua — to break apart
  • Finnish: sirpaloitua — to break apart
  • Finnish: pirstoutua — to break apart
  • Finnish: hajota — to break apart
  • French: fragmenter — to break apart
  • Galician: fragmentar — to break apart
  • German: fragmentieren — to break apart
  • Greek: θρυμματίζω (thrymmatízo) — to break apart
  • Hindi: खंडन (khaṇḍan) — to break apart
  • Italian: frammentare — to break apart
  • Malay: whakakorakora — to break apart
  • Portuguese: fragmentar — to break apart
  • Romanian: fragmenta — to break apart
  • Russian: разва́ливаться (razválivatʹsja) — to break apart
  • Russian: развали́ться (razvalítʹsja) — to break apart
  • Serbo-Croatian: fragmentírati — to break apart
  • Spanish: fragmentar — to break apart
  • Ukrainian: розва́люватися (rozváljuvatysja) — to break apart
  • Ukrainian: розвали́тися (rozvalýtysja) — to break apart
  • Bulgarian: раздробявам се (razdrobjavam se) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Catalan: fragmentar — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Dutch: fragmenteren — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Finnish: särkeä — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Finnish: rikkoa — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Finnish: pirstoa — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Finnish: hajottaa — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • French: fragmenter — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Galician: fragmentar — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • German: fragmentieren — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Greek: τεμαχίζω (temachízo) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Greek: κομματιάζω (kommatiázo) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Italian: frammentare — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Māori: māhurehure — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Portuguese: fragmentar — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Romanian: fragmenta — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Russian: разла́мывать (razlámyvatʹ) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Russian: разлома́ть (razlomátʹ) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Russian: фрагменти́ровать (fragmentírovatʹ) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Serbo-Croatian: fragmentírati — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Spanish: fragmentar — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Tagalog: magkapira-piraso — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Tagalog: magkawatak-watak — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Ukrainian: фрагментува́ти (frahmentuváty) — to cause to be broken into pieces
  • Ukrainian: розлама́ти (rozlamáty) — to cause to be broken into pieces
Real reading context

fragment in complete knowledge articles