All 5 Uses

fracture
in
The Hunt for Red October
(Auto-generated)

An unnecessary gesture—with the sickening crackle of bones Ivan Putin's neck broke, his spine severed at the level of the second cervical vertebra, a perfect hangman's fracture.†
Chpt 1. *
See any evidence of a hull fracture?†
Chpt 13.
They had no way of knowing that a fracture was developing in the transmission casing, near the fluid test port.†
Chpt 14.
The Super Stallion At this moment the transmission casing fractured.†
Chpt 14.
A hull fracture would kill you just as fast, just down here there'd be less residue for the next boat to try and recover.†
Chpt 15.

Definitions:

(1) (fracture)
a crack or break, or to cause one, especially in something hard -- such as a bone
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
Fracture can also be used metaphorically as in "fracture the balance of power."