German word

Fragment

Pronunciation

IPA/fʁaˈgmɛnt/

Meaning

  • neuter nounfragment

Example

Ich habe nur ein Fragment des Briefes gefunden.

I found only a fragment of the letter.

Illustration for Fragment (fragment)

More examples

Der Archäologe fand ein Fragment des Tongefäßes.

The archaeologist found a fragment of the clay vessel.

Core concept

A small remnant that preserves only part of a larger message, record, or physical thing.

Common phrases

  • ein Fragment des Manuskripts

    a fragment of the manuscript

  • das Fragment eines Satzes

    the fragment of a sentence

Similar words

Bruchstück: A small piece left after something has broken apart.
Teil: A part that makes up a larger whole or structure.
Stück: One separate portion of something divided by number, size, or amount.
Rest: The portion remaining after some of the original has been removed or used.

Definition in German

Ein Fragment ist ein unvollständiger Teil von etwas, oft ein kurzer Abschnitt eines Textes oder ein kleines Bruchstück eines Gegenstandes.

Word origin

The German noun comes through scholarly European usage from Latin fragmentum, 'a piece broken off', related to frangere, 'to break'.

Usage tips

  • Fragment is more formal than the everyday Teil or Stück and often emphasizes that the larger whole is incomplete.

Other meanings

  • piecenoun
  • shardnoun

Opposites

  • Ganzheitwholenessnoun

Related words

  • fragmentierenfragmentverb
  • fragmentarischfragmentaryadjective
  • Fragmentierungfragmentationnoun

Word lists with this word