rupture

  1. Noun.  A burst, split, or break.
  2. Noun.  A social breach or break, between individuals or groups.
  3. Noun.  (medicine) A break or tear in soft tissue, such as a muscle.
  4. Noun.  (engineering) A failure mode in which a tough ductile material pulls apart rather than cracking.
  5. Verb.  (transitive, intransitive) To burst, break through, or split, as under pressure.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.