1. broken piece: a piece, usually a small piece, broken off something or left when something is shattered
2. incomplete piece: an incomplete or isolated piece of something only heard fragments of the conversation
transitive and intransitive verb (past and past participlefrag·ment·ed, present participlefrag·ment·ing, 3rd person present singularfrag·ments)
Definition:
1. break into small pieces: to break something into small pieces, or be broken in this way The metal is designed to fragment on impact.
2. break up: to lose a sense of unity or cohesion, with the result that something splits into isolated and often conflicting elements, or cause something to do this Civil war had fragmented the nation and hindered development.
[Mid-16th century. Directly or via French< Latin fragmentum< source of frangere "break"]
