Question

fractious adjective The Latin verb "frangere" ("to break or shatter") has many modern English relations. Dishes that are "fragile" can break easily. A person whose health is easily broken might be described as "frail." A "fraction" is one of the many pieces into which a whole can be broken. But "fraction" also once meant "disharmony" or "discord" -- that is, a "rupture in relations." From this noun sense came the adjective "fractious," meaning "unruly" or "quarrelsome." Though the "disharmony" sense of the noun is now obsolete, "fractious" is still common today. 1 : tending to be troublesome : unruly2 : quarrelsome, irritable

Accepted Answer

July 15, 2009 FRAK-shus The class was fractious and uncontrollable when Mr. Douglas first took over as teacher, but he now has the students disciplined, focused, and ready to learn.

Word	fractious
Date	July 15, 2009
Type	adjective
Syllables	FRAK-shus
Etymology	The Latin verb "frangere" ("to break or shatter") has many modern English relations. Dishes that are "fragile" can break easily. A person whose health is easily broken might be described as "frail." A "fraction" is one of the many pieces into which a whole can be broken. But "fraction" also once meant "disharmony" or "discord" -- that is, a "rupture in relations." From this noun sense came the adjective "fractious," meaning "unruly" or "quarrelsome." Though the "disharmony" sense of the noun is now obsolete, "fractious" is still common today.
Examples	The class was fractious and uncontrollable when Mr. Douglas first took over as teacher, but he now has the students disciplined, focused, and ready to learn.
Definition	1 : tending to be troublesome : unruly 2 : quarrelsome, irritable

Fractious Adjective Break Fraction Disharmony Noun Sense July