microfracturen.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˌfraktʃə/, U.S. /ˈmaɪkroʊˌfræk(t)ʃər/ A very small or fine fracture in a material, bone, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > breaking or cracking > [noun] > a crack or breach > specific type of or having specific cause
fire crack1656
star1838
flake1866
shrinkage crack1867
snowflake1919
microfracture1939
microcrack1950
1939 Amer. Mineralogist 24 73 The streaks, patches, and veinlets of coarsely crystalline kaolinite and halloysite are sedimentary in origin and appear to be related to recrystallization along the micro-fractures in the clay.
1964 Science 12 June 1365/1 K. Mogi described his laboratory experiments on microfractures associated with rock failure.
1973 Jrnl. Biomech. 6 5/2 Preliminary results from our study of human materials have demonstrated evidence of healing or healed microfractures in the subchondral bone taken at autopsy from patients with early signs of degenerative joint disease.
1993 Sports Illustr. 1 Nov. 88/2 Microfractures, too small to be detected by the conventional X-rays that most track vets use, can lead to unexplained soreness in an animal and to breakdowns.
Derivatives
ˈmicrofracturing n. the state of having microfractures; the formation of microfractures.
ΚΠ
1969 Nature 27 Sept. 1306/1 All the rock samples are characterized by small surface pits lined with glass, areas of spattered glass and whitish markings which are small areas of microfracturing.
1987 Science 19 June 1558 The microfracturing is the result of the stress generated by the anisotropic expansion of the unit cell.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1939