Fragment
/ˈfræɡ.mənt/noun
A small part broken or separated from something.
Did you know?The word 'fragment' has ties to ancient rituals involving the breaking of objects for divination, connecting the act of separation to the pursuit of hidden knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhrāg-
“to break or split”
Latin
Latin
fragmentum
“a piece broken off from a whole”
Old French
Old French
fragment
“a broken or torn piece”
Middle English
Middle English
fragment
“a part broken away from a larger whole”
Modern English
English
fragment
“a small part or piece of something larger, often implying incompleteness.”