What does comminute mean?
Comminute is a formal English verb meaning to reduce something to very small pieces or fine powder by crushing, pounding, or grinding. It derives from the Latin comminuere, formed from com- ('together') and minuere ('to make smaller'), and belongs to the same family as words like minute and diminish. Though rarely heard in casual conversation, it is well established in technical registers: engineers comminute ores and minerals in milling operations, pharmacists comminute drugs to improve solubility, and surgeons describe bones broken into multiple fragments as 'comminuted'. In practice, its adjective form 'comminuted' is encountered more often than the verb itself. For readers who want a precise, scientific alternative to everyday words like 'crush' or 'grind', comminute offers exactness — a compact term that signals deliberate reduction to fine particles.
verbTo reduce something to tiny fragments or fine powder by crushing, pounding, or grinding.
- To reduce a substance to small fragments or powder by crushing, pounding, or grinding.
"The ore must first be comminuted before the metal can be extracted."
"The pharmacist comminuted the herb into a fine powder using mortar and pestle."
"The X-ray revealed a comminuted fracture of the femur, broken into several fragments."
Doctors call a bone shattered into many fragments a 'comminuted fracture' — the same word miners use for rock crushed to powder.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comminute
Comminute comes from the Latin comminuere, meaning 'to make smaller' or 'to break into pieces', built from com- ('together') plus minuere ('to lessen'). It entered English around the early 17th century, initially in medical and alchemical contexts. It shares its Latin root with words such as minute, diminish, and minuscule, all of which trace back to the notion of smallness.
How comminute is actually used
A formal, technical word found mainly in medicine, geology, engineering, and pharmacology rather than everyday speech. The derived adjective form 'comminuted' appears more often than the verb itself — especially in 'comminuted fracture'.
Easily confused with comminute
'Communicate' means to share information, while 'comminute' means to crush or grind something into fine pieces; the two look similar in print but are entirely unrelated in meaning.