I. ˈfrakshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English fraccioun, from Late Latin fraction-, fractio action of breaking, from Latin fractus (past participle of frangere to break) + -ion, -io -ion — more at break
1. : a part of a whole: as
a. : the indicated quotient of one expression divided by another — see number table
b.
(1) : a piece broken off : fragment , scrap
(2) : a discrete unit : portion , section
a minute fraction of the voters
c. : a part less than a point in a security quotation
the price of United States steel declined a fraction
2. archaic
a. : a rupture in relations : discord , dissension , disharmony
b. : a breach of peace : fracas , ruction
3.
a. : a breaking up : breaking ; specifically often capitalized : the breaking of the bread by the priest before the communion in Eastern and Western Christian liturgies
b. obsolete : a broken place : fracture , rupture , breach , break
4. : little , bit
a fraction closer
5. : one of several portions (as of a distillate or precipitate) separable by fractionation and consisting either of mixtures or of pure chemical compounds : cut
petroleum fractions
gamma globulin is a fraction of blood plasma
6. : a type character representing a mathematical fraction — see piece fraction
7. : a group of Communists who work for reform within a non-Communist organization — compare cell 9
Synonyms: see part
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to separate or divide into portions, separable units, or discrete components ; specifically : fractionate 1