■ noun
1》 the action or process of dividing or being divided.
↘the separation of members of a legislative body into groups to vote for or against a bill.
2》 each of the parts into which something is divided.
↘a major section of an organization.
↘a number of teams or competitors grouped together in a sport for competitive purposes.
↘ Botany a principal taxonomic category that ranks above class and below kingdom, equivalent to the phylum in zoology.
↘ Zoology any subsidiary category between major levels of classification.
3》 a difference or disagreement between groups within a society, organization, etc.: a country with ethnic ~s.
4》 the process of dividing one number by another.
↘ Mathematics the process of dividing a matrix, vector, or other quantity by another under specific rules to obtain a quotient.
5》 a partition.
Phrases
~ of labour the assignment of different parts of a manufacturing process or task to different people in order to improve efficiency.