• Partition

    Pronunciation

    • US enPR: pärtÄ­'shÉ™n, IPA: /pɑɹˈtɪʃən/
    • Rhymes: -ɪʃən

    Origin

    Recorded c.1430, "division into shares, distinction," from Old French particion (modern partition), from Latin partitio ("division, portion"), from partitus, the past participle of partire ("to split (up), part(ition)").

    Full definition of partition

    Noun

    partition

    (plural partitions)
    1. An action which divides a thing into parts, or separates one thing from another.
      • ShakespeareAnd good from bad find no partition.
    2. A part of something that has been divided.
    3. The division of a territory into two or more autonomous ones.''Monarchies where partition isn't prohibited risk weakening trough parcellation and civil wars between the heirs
    4. A vertical structure that divides a room.a brick partition; lath and plaster partitions
    5. That which divides or separates; that by which different things, or distinct parts of the same thing, are separated; boundary; dividing line or space.
      • DrydenNo sight could pass
        Betwixt the nice partitions of the grass.
    6. A part divided off by walls; an apartment; a compartment.
      • MiltonLodged in a small partition.
    7. (legal) The severance of common or undivided interests, particularly in real estate. It may be effected by consent of parties, or by compulsion of law.
    8. (computing) A section of a hard disk separately formatted.
    9. (databases) A division of a database or one of its constituting elements such as tables into separate independent parts.
    10. (set theory) A collection of non-empty, disjoint subsets of a set whose union is the set itself (i.e. all elements of the set are contained in exactly one of the subsets).
    11. (music) A musical score.

    Usage notes

    (set theory) The elements of the collection are sometimes called the blocks or parts of the partition.

    Derived terms

    Related terms

    Verb

    (transitive)
    1. To divide something into parts, sections or shares
    2. To divide a region or country into two or more territories with separate political status
    3. To separate or divide a room by a partition (ex. a wall), often use with off

    Synonyms

    Related terms

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