fissure

/ˈfɪʒ.ɚ/

UK: /ˈfɪʃ.ə/

FꞮƷ · ɚ (2 syllables)

English Noun Top 31,644

Definition

A long, narrow crack or opening made by breaking or splitting, especially in rock or earth.

Etymology

From Middle English fissure, from Old French fissure, from Latin fissūra (“a cleft, chink”), from findō (“to cleave, split, divide”) + -tūra (nominal suffix).

Example Sentences

"After Miller's Dale Junction, the main Derby-Manchester line crosses the Wye for the last time and turns north-west up Great Rocks Dale, a natural fissure several miles long."