🦴 Broken in pieces 🪨 Crushed to bits

comminuted

9.5

Material crushed into small pieces, for example when grinding spices

adjective
/ˈkɒmɪˌnjuːtɪd/

Specialized

: triturado

After hours of grinding, the spices were completely comminuted and ready for use in the recipe.

Examples

The recycling process turned the glass bottles into comminuted fragments for new construction materials.
The laboratory analyzed the comminuted rock samples to determine their mineral content.
The chef used comminuted garlic for the sauce.
The recipe calls for comminuted herbs.
After hours of grinding, the spices were completely comminuted and ready for use in the recipe.
The recycling process turned the glass bottles into comminuted fragments for new construction materials.
The laboratory analyzed the comminuted rock samples to determine their mineral content.

Synonyms

pulverized

vscomminuted

5.4

A thing made into a fine powder by crushing or grinding

is made into small fragments or particles, not always as fine

granulated

vscomminuted

4.2

With many small grains or a grainy texture

is broken into irregular fragments or particles rather than distinct grains

Antonyms

whole

∞ 1.0

Complete and not broken or divided

Compounds

comminuted fracture

Specialized

1 8.1

A bone that is broken into several pieces

How Fine

powdered

9 1.4

comminuted

Specialized

9.5

to mince

38 3.1

chopped

1.0

coarse

26 3.7

Surface Forms

comminuted positive

Morphology

comminuted = comminute (transparent) = com + minut + ed

Formed from the verb 'comminute' (com- + minute) with the past-participle/adjectival suffix '-ed', yielding the predictable meaning 'reduced to small particles'.

Etymology

Comminuted comes from Latin parts com- 'together' and minuere 'to make small', just like the English word minute 'very small'. So when materials or food are comminuted, they are crushed or ground into tiny fragments.