rupture
- 01 C1 Advanced
a tear in a muscle, organ, or other soft tissue in the body.
a tear or break in a bodily organ or soft tissue, such as a muscle or ligament.
Simple“The athlete had to stop playing because of a rupture in his Achilles tendon.”
In context“The surgeon confirmed a rupture of the spleen, requiring immediate intervention to prevent internal haemorrhaging.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
a serious disagreement that ends a relationship between people or countries.
a severe breach in harmonious relations between individuals, groups, or nations.
Simple“The disagreement led to a permanent rupture between the two former business partners.”
In context“The diplomatic rupture between the two neighbouring states followed years of escalating tension over maritime borders.”
Antonyms
“Sawyers, who returned to action last year , suffered a devastating Achilles rupture on her take-off leg which ended her Olympic hopes.”
“There was no single betrayal, no dramatic rupture.”
Borrowed from Middle French rupture, or its source, Latin ruptūra (“a breaking, rupture (of a limb or vein)”) and Medieval Latin ruptūra (“a road, a field, a form of feudal tenure, a tax, etc.”), from the participle stem of rumpere (“to break, burst”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.