n. & v.
n. 1 a space within a larger space, separated from the rest by partitions, e.g. in a railway carriage, wallet, desk, etc. 2 Naut. a watertight division of a ship. 3 an area of activity etc. kept apart from others in a person's mind.
v.tr. put into compartments. compartmentation n.
[ F compartiment f. It. compartimento f. LL compartiri (as COM-, partiri share) ]