Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Fracture \Frac"ture\ (?; 135), n. [L. fractura, fr. frangere,
   fractum, to break: cf. F. fracture. See {Fraction}.]
   1. The act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach.

   2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.

   3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a
      compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.

   {Comminuted fracture} (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone
      is broken into several parts.

   {Complicated fracture} (Surg.), a fracture of the bone
      combined with the lesion of some artery, nervous trunk, or
      joint.

   {Compound fracture} (Surg.), a fracture in which there is an
      open wound from the surface down to the fracture.

   {Simple fracture} (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone only
      is ruptured. It does not communicate with the surface by
      an open wound.

   Syn: {Fracture}, {Rupture}.

   Usage: These words denote different kinds of breaking,
          according to the objects to which they are applied.
          Fracture is applied to hard substances; as, the
          fracture of a bone. Rupture is oftener applied to soft
          substances; as, the rupture of a blood vessel. It is
          also used figuratively. ``To be an enemy and once to
          have been a friend, does it not embitter the
          rupture?'' --South.

Compound \Com"pound\, a. [OE. compouned, p. p. of compounen. See
   {Compound}, v. t.]
   Composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts;
   produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or
   things; composite; as, a compound word.

         Compound substances are made up of two or more simple
         substances.                              --I. Watts.

   {Compound addition}, {subtraction}, {multiplication},
   {division} (Arith.), the addition, subtraction, etc., of
      compound numbers.

   {Compound crystal} (Crystallog.), a twin crystal, or one
      seeming to be made up of two or more crystals combined
      according to regular laws of composition.

   {Compound engine} (Mech.), a form of steam engine in which
      the steam that has been used in a high-pressure cylinder
      is made to do further service in a larger low-pressure
      cylinder, sometimes in several larger cylinders,
      successively.

   {Compound ether}. (Chem.) See under {Ether}.

   {Compound flower} (Bot.), a flower head resembling a single
      flower, but really composed of several florets inclosed in
      a common calyxlike involucre, as the sunflower or
      dandelion.

   {Compound fraction}. (Math.) See {Fraction}.

   {Compound fracture}. See {Fracture}.

   {Compound householder}, a householder who compounds or
      arranges with his landlord that his rates shall be
      included in his rents. [Eng.]

   {Compound interest}. See {Interest}.

   {Compound larceny}. (Law) See {Larceny}.

   {Compound leaf} (Bot.), a leaf having two or more separate
      blades or leaflets on a common leafstalk.

   {Compound microscope}. See {Microscope}.

   {Compound motion}. See {Motion}.

   {Compound number} (Math.), one constructed according to a
      varying scale of denomination; as, 3 cwt., 1 qr., 5 lb.;
      -- called also {denominate number}.

   {Compound pier} (Arch.), a clustered column.

   {Compound quantity} (Alg.), a quantity composed of two or
      more simple quantities or terms, connected by the sign +
      (plus) or - (minus). Thus, a + b - c, and bb - b, are
      compound quantities.

   {Compound radical}. (Chem.) See {Radical}.

   {Compound ratio} (Math.), the product of two or more ratios;
      thus ab:cd is a ratio compounded of the simple ratios a:c
      and b:d.

   {Compound rest} (Mech.), the tool carriage of an engine
      lathe.

   {Compound screw} (Mech.), a screw having on the same axis two
      or more screws with different pitch (a differential
      screw), or running in different directions (a right and
      left screw).

   {Compound time} (Mus.), that in which two or more simple
      measures are combined in one; as, 6-8 time is the joining
      of two measures of 3-8 time.

   {Compound word}, a word composed of two or more words;
      specifically, two or more words joined together by a
      hyphen.

Source : WordNet®

compound fracture
     n : bone fracture associated with lacerated soft tissue or an
         open wound [syn: {open fracture}]