They almost look alike, but both have different meanings and origins.
Infarct
This is a noun in English, infarct. It is usually used in medical context.
But sometimes, it is used as a verb informally in clinical papers, e.g. "the tissue infarcted".
This term entered English in around 19th century.
Infract means a small localised area of dead tissue resulting from failure of blood supply.
It is taken from Modern Latin infarctus = in + farctus.
From Latin infarcīre ➡️ leads to infarctus.
In = into.
Farcīre = to stuff or to cram.
Infarcīre = to stuff into or with.
Farctus is past participle of farcīre. It means stuffed, crammed, or filled.
Therefore, infarctus means stuffed into, crammed into, or filled with.
Infarction
This is the predecessor of infarct, also a noun.
It means obstruction of the blood supply to an organ or region of tissue, causing local death of the tissue.
It is the process of the clogging, rather than the result. The result is called infarct.
From Latin infarcīre ➡️ leads to infarctio.
Entered English in the 17th century (1680s).
Infract
A verb, meaning to break or violate a law or rule.
From Latin īnfringere.
In = into.
Frangere = to break.
Infringere = to break upon or to infringe or to violate.
Infraction
A noun.
It means a violation or breach of a law or rule.
From Latin īnfringere ➡️ leads to infractio.
Entered English in the early 17th century (1623).
Those are interesting because of the "a" and "r" swap.
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