English vocabulary · B2
Fissure
/ˈfɪʃər/ · n., v.
It means a long, narrow crack or split in something solid. It goes deep, not just along the surface.
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Example sentences
- A fissure opened in the ground after the earthquake.
- The rock face had a wide fissure running down its center.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- fiss — split (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- CRACK — a line break in something (Surface & Visible)
- SPLIT — divided into two parts (Torn Apart)
- GAP — an empty space between things (An Open Space)
Words with the same root
fiss — split
- fission — splitting of an atom to release energy
- fissile — able to be split or divided
Lesson notes
Fissure. It means a long, narrow crack or split in something solid. It goes deep, not just along the surface.
Similar words are crack, split, and gap. Use fissure when a deep crack forms in something solid.
A fissure opened in the ground after the earthquake. The rock face had a wide fissure running down its center.
From Latin. fiss- means split. A long, deep split in something solid: that is a fissure.