comminution

Meaning

Noun

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

Related

Similar words

• crushing, pulverization

Origin

• 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- + minuō, 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.