/ pɑːt; NAmE pɑːrt/ noun , verb , adverb
■ noun
SOME
1.
[ U ] part of sth some but not all of a thing :
We spent part of the time in the museum.
Part of the building was destroyed in the fire.
Voters are given only part of the story (= only some of the information) .
Part of me feels sorry for him (= I feel partly, but not entirely, sorry for him) .
PIECE
2.
[ C ] a section, piece or feature of sth :
The early part of her life was spent in Paris.
The novel is good in parts .
We've done the difficult part of the job.
The procedure can be divided into two parts.
The worst part was having to wait three hours in the rain.
MEMBER
3.
[ U ] a member of sth; a person or thing that, together with others, makes up a single unit :
You need to be able to work as part of a team.
OF MACHINE
4.
[ C ] a piece of a machine or structure :
aircraft parts
the working parts of the machinery
spare parts
OF BODY / PLANT
5.
[ C ] a separate piece or area of a human or animal body or of a plant :
the parts of the body
—see also private parts
REGION / AREA
6.
[ C ] an area or a region of the world, a country, a town, etc. :
the northern part of the country
a plant that grows in many parts of the world
Which part of Japan do you come from?
Come and visit us if you're ever in our part of the world.
7.
parts [ pl. ] ( old-fashioned , informal ) a region or an area :
She's not from these parts.
He's just arrived back from foreign parts.
OF BOOK / SERIES
8.
[ C ] ( abbr. pt ) a section of a book, television series, etc., especially one that is published or broadcast separately :
an encyclopedia published in 25 weekly parts
Henry IV, Part II
The final part will be shown next Sunday evening.
FOR ACTOR
9.
[ C ] a role played by an actor in a play, film / movie, etc.; the words spoken by an actor in a particular role :
She was very good in the part.
Have you learned your part yet?
( figurative )
He's always playing a part (= pretending to be sth that he is not) .
INVOLVEMENT
10.
[ C , usually sing. , U ] the way in which sb/sth is involved in an action or situation :
He had no part in the decision.
IN MUSIC
11.
[ C ] music for a particular voice or instrument in a group singing or playing together :
the clarinet part
four-part harmony
EQUAL PORTION
12.
[ C ] a unit of measurement that allows you to compare the different amounts of substances in sth :
Add three parts wine to one part water.
IN HAIR
13.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) = parting
•
IDIOMS
- the best / better part of sth
- for the most part
- for my, his, their, etc. part
- have a part to play (in sth)
- have / play a part (in sth)
- have / play / take / want no part in / of sth
- in part
- look / dress the part
- a man / woman of (many) parts
- on the part of sb / on sb's part
- part and parcel of sth
- part of the furniture
- take sth in good part
- take part (in sth)
- take sb's part
—more at discretion , large , sum noun
■ verb
LEAVE SB
1.
[ v ] part (from sb) ( formal ) if a person parts from another person, or two people part , they leave each other :
We parted at the airport.
I hate to part on such bad terms.
He has recently parted from his wife (= they have started to live apart) .
—see also parting adjective
KEEP APART
2.
[ vn ] [ often passive ] part sb (from sb) ( formal ) to prevent sb from being with sb else :
I hate being parted from the children.
The puppies were parted from their mother at birth.
MOVE AWAY
3.
if two things or parts of things part or you part them, they move away from each other :
[ v ]
The crowd parted in front of them.
The elevator doors parted and out stepped the President.
[ vn ]
Her lips were slightly parted.
She parted the curtains a little and looked out.
HAIR
4.
[ vn ] to divide your hair into two sections with a comb , creating a line that goes from the back of your head to the front :
He parts his hair in the middle.
—see also parting noun
•
IDIOMS
- part company (with / from sb)
—more at fool noun
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- part with sth
■ adverb
(often in compounds) consisting of two things; to some extent but not completely :
She's part French, part English.
His feelings were part anger, part relief.
The course is part funded by the European Commission.
He is part owner of a farm in France.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English (denoting a part of speech), from Latin pars , part- . The verb (originally in Middle English in the sense divide into parts ) is from Old French partir , from Latin partire , partiri divide, share.