comminution

Meaning

1. (countable, often, uncountable) The breaking or grinding up of a material to form smaller particles.
2. (countable, uncountable) The fracture of a bone site in multiple pieces (technically, at least three); crumbling.

Synonyms

pulverization

crushing

making small

trituration

cracking

crumbling

disperse

flaking

fracture

fragmenting

grating

shredding

porphyrization

size reduction

break

porphyrize

breaking

broken

chopping

Translations

Zerkleinerung

frammentazione

سهك

desmenuzamiento

fragmentação

fragmentation

émiettement

Zerquetschen

Zerhacken

broyage

concassage

hachage

trituration

Zerreiben

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌkɒmɪˈnjuːʃ(ə)n/

Etymology

From Latin comminūtiō (“breaking into pieces, crumbling, shattering; crushing, pulverizing”), from Latin comminuō (“to break or crumble into small pieces; to crush, pulverize”) (from com- (prefix indicating completeness) + minuō (“to make smaller; to diminish, lessen”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“little, small”)) + Latin -tiō (suffix forming a noun relating to some action or the result of an action); equivalent to comminute + -ion.