Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FISSURE

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explore the archives: Today's fissure, meaning a small split or a fine crack, pops up often in political contexts. Fissures appear in political parties and among members of political movements. This fracturing of groups and ideas might remind you of the adjective fac____al, meaning "involving tense disagreements between members of a group." Do you recall it? make your point with... "FISSURE" A literal fissure is a long, narrow crack. A figurative fissure is a split (a division) between people or ideas. Pronunciation: FISH er Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one fissure or multiple fissures.) Other forms: The plural is "fissures." "Fissure" is also a verb, but it's rare: something can fissure (break into parts along one or more long, narrow cracks) and something can fissure something else (crack it and break it into parts).  The adjective for things that have fissures is "fissured," and the adjective for things that are likely to crack into fissures is "fissile." But these adjectives are mostly literal: fissured stones, a fissured ground, the fissured lobes of a flower; fissile rock, fissile oaks, fissile materials for nuclear fission. How to use it: You can talk about literal fissures: they appear in body parts, plant parts, walls, cliffs, icebergs, the ocean floor, and so on.  The fissures we're interested in are figurative. Talk about fissures in marriages, friendships, families, political parties, religious groups, social movements, languages and dialects, theories and philosophies, etc. Fissures can exist between people and among people, even between abstract ideas: "a growing fissure between ambition and greed."  People, groups, and events can cause fissures, expose fissures, deepen or widen fissures, heal fissures, sustain fissures, reopen fissures, and so on. Keep in mind that "crack" is the clearer, simpler alternative. But "fissure" is more formal, and specifically it's a subtle, thin, fine crack. A fissure might be deep, but pick "chasm" (not "fissure") to describe a huge, wide, gaping division or crack. You'd be ignoring this word's exact meaning if, for example, you talk about bridging a fissure. (It makes more sense to bridge a chasm.) examples: We get along okay when occasions throw us together, but the fissure between us persists. Republicans are in for a struggle as they consider how to heal the fissures in their party. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fissure" means when you can explain it without saying "split" or "thin opening." try it out: Think of a time the people you know took sides on an issue. (It might have happened in your family, circle of friends, club, team, school, workplace, community, or nation.) Fill in the blanks: "A fissure has opened between those who (want/believe) _____ and those who _____." Example: "A fissure has opened between those who want most to protect our own citizens and those who want to aid refugees in need." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we’re playing with anagrams: rearrangements of the letters in a word to form new words. (For example, “care” has two anagrams: “acre” and “race.”) Looking for these makes you a stronger player in other word games. But more importantly, it helps you practice thinking flexibly and methodically. Plus you get to giggle at potential non-words and discover new real words. We’ll work our way from shorter to longer anagrams. And at any point if you wonder why I left out a word you wanted to list, or why I included a word you think isn’t a real one, hold your fire: our authority for this game is ScrabbleWordFinder.org, which draws from a highly inclusive dictionary. Let’s play! From yesterday: What are the 2 anagrams for CHAPTER? Answer: PATCHER and REPATCH. Try this one today: What is the 1 anagram for SPECIAL? review today's word: 1. The opposite of FISSURE is A. ACID B. BOND C. CAUTION 2. It's taken decades to _____ the fissure between these nations. A. end B. mend C. decelerate Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B