a division into or distribution in portions or shares.
2.
a separation, as of two or more things.
3.
something that separates or divides.
4.
a part, division, or section.
5.
an interior wall or barrier dividing a room, area of a building, enclosure, etc., into separate areas.
6.
a septum or dissepiment, as in a plant or animal structure.
7.
Law. a division of property among joint owners or tenants in common or a sale of such property followed by a division of the proceeds.
8.
Logic. the separation of a whole into its integrant parts.
9.
Mathematics.
a.
a mode of separating a positive whole number into a sum of positive whole numbers.
b.
the decomposition of a set into disjoint subsets whose union is the original set: A partition of the set (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is the collection of subsets (1), (2, 3), (4), and (5).
10.
Rhetoric. (in a speech organized on classical principles) the second, usually brief section or part in which a speaker announces the chief lines of thought to be discussed in support of his or her theme.
–verb (used with object)
11.
to divide into parts or portions.
12.
to divide or separate by interior walls, barriers, or the like (sometimes fol. by off): to partition off a dormitory into cubicles.
13.
to divide (a country or territory) into separate, usually differing political entities. Compare Balkanize.
14.
Law. to divide property among several owners, either in specie or by sale and division of the proceeds.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L partītiōn- (s. of partītiō) division, equiv. to partīt(us) ptp. of partīrī to divide (see party) + -iōn--ion]
To divide or separate by means of a partition: We partitioned off the alcove to make another bedroom.
To divide (a country) into separate, autonomous nations.
[Middle English particioun, from Old French partition, from Latin partītiō, partītiōn-, from partītus, past participle of partīre, to divide, from pars, part-, part; see part.]
c.1430, "division into shares, distinction," from O.Fr. particion, from L. partitionem (nom. partitio) "division, portion," from partitus, pp. of partire "to part" (see part (v.)). Sense of "that which separates" first recorded 1486. The verb is from 1741.
A division of a nation or territory into two or more nations. Cyprus, Germany, India, Ireland, Korea, Palestine, and Vietnam are notable examples of countries that have undergone partition.
partition 1. A logical section of a disk. Each partition normally has its own file system. Unix tends to treat partitions as though they were separate physical entities. 2. A division of a set into subsets so that each of its elements is in exactly one subset. (1996-12-09)
Par"ce*ner\, n. [Of. par[,c]onnier, parsonnier, fr. parzon, par[,c]un, parcion, part, portion, fr. L. partitio a division. See Partition, and cf. Partner.] (Law) A coheir, or one of two or more persons to whom an estate of inheritance descends jointly, and by whom it is held as one estate.
Par*ti"tion\, n. [F. partition, L. partitio. See Part, v.]1. The act of parting or dividing; the state of being parted; separation; division; distribution; as, the partition of a kingdom. And good from bad find no partition. --Shak. 2. That which divides or separates; that by which different things, or distinct parts of the same thing, are separated; separating boundary; dividing line or space; specifically, an interior wall dividing one part or apartment of a house, an inclosure, or the like, from another; as, a brick partition; lath and plaster partitions. No sight could pass Betwixt the nice partitions of the grass. --Dryden. 3. A part divided off by walls; an apartment; a compartment. [R.] "Lodged in a small partition." --Milton. 4. (Law.) The servance of common or undivided interests, particularly in real estate. It may be effected by consent of parties, or by compulsion of law. 5. (Mus.) A score. Partition of numbers (Math.), the resolution of integers into parts subject to given conditions. --Brande & C.
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