fissure

[ fish-er ]

noun

1. a narrow opening produced by cleavage or separation of parts.
2. cleavage ( def 1 ).
3. Anatomy. a natural division or groove in an organ, as in the brain.

verb (used with object)

, fis·sured, fis·sur·ing.

1. to make fissures in; cleave; split.

verb (used without object)

, fis·sured, fis·sur·ing.

1. to open in fissures; become split.

fissure

/ ˈfɪʃə /

noun

1. any long narrow cleft or crack, esp in a rock
2. a weakness or flaw indicating impending disruption or discord

   fissures in a decaying empire

3. anatomy a narrow split or groove that divides an organ such as the brain, lung, or liver into lobes See also sulcus
4. a small unnatural crack in the skin or mucous membrane, as between the toes or at the anus
5. a minute crack in the surface of a tooth, caused by imperfect joining of enamel during development

verb

1. to crack or split apart

fissure

/ fĭsh′ər /

1. A long, narrow crack or opening in the face of a rock. Fissures are often filled with minerals of a different type from those in the surrounding rock.

Other Words From

• fissu·ral adjective
• fissure·less adjective
• sub·fissure noun
• super·fissure noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fissure¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin fissūra cleaving, cleft, fissure, equivalent to fiss ( us ) divided ( fissi- ) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of fissure¹

C14: from medical Latin fissūra , from Latin fissus split

Example Sentences

They are weeks into a major renovation after a fissure forced apart rooms in their home.

From Los Angeles Times

The cast’s performances and undeniable chemistry shored up the many fissures threatening to collapse the premise’s integrity—at least, enough to pull us through.

From Salon

Observations from Earth and orbiting probes suggest that some of this water works through fissures in the ice and blasts through in geysers over a hundred miles high.

From Los Angeles Times

Rolling Hills Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Pieper acknowledged the fissures in the community but said: “It’s been like that for decades.”

From Los Angeles Times

Neighborhoods near the golf course are under a city-issued evacuation warning, with the fissured land moving about nine to 12 inches a week and houses cracking and sliding off their foundations.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cleavage
• crevice