I. sec ‧ tion 1 S1 W1 AC /ˈsekʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ section ; noun : ↑ section ; adjective : ↑ sectional ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: sectio , from secare 'to cut' ]
1 . PLACE/OBJECT [countable] one of the parts that something such as an object or place is divided into
section of
a busy section of road
the reference section of the library
The plane’s tail section was found in a cornfield.
the smoking section (=where you can smoke)
2 . PART OF A WHOLE [countable] one of the separate parts of a structure, piece of furniture etc that you fit together to form the whole
in sections
The boats were built in Scotland, and transported to Egypt in sections.
3 . BOOK/NEWSPAPER/REPORT [countable] a separate part of a book, newspaper, document, report etc:
This issue will be discussed further in section two.
sports/style/business/travel etc section (=particular part of a newspaper)
4 . GROUP OF PEOPLE [countable] a separate group within a larger group of people
section of
a large section of the American public
5 . brass/rhythm/woodwind/string etc section the people or person in a band or ↑ orchestra who play the ↑ brass , ↑ rhythm etc instruments
6 . LAW [countable] one of the parts of a law or a legal document:
Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution
7 . SIDE/TOP VIEW [uncountable and countable] technical a picture that shows what a building, part of the body etc would look like if it were cut from top to bottom or side to side ⇨ cross-section
in section
Here’s the outside view, and here are the floors in section.
8 . MEDICAL/SCIENTIFIC technical
a) [uncountable and countable] a medical operation that involves cutting ⇨ caesarean section at ↑ caesarean
b) [countable] a very thin flat piece that is cut from skin, a plant etc to be looked at under a ↑ microscope
9 . AREA OF LAND [countable] American English a square area of land in the US that is one mile long on each side
10 . MATHEMATICS [countable] technical the shape that is made when a solid figure is cut by a flat surface in mathematics
II. section 2 AC BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ section ; noun : ↑ section ; adjective : ↑ sectional ]
1 . British English to officially force someone with a mental illness to go to a ↑ psychiatric hospital, because they are dangerous to themselves or other people
2 . to separate something into parts:
Peel and section the oranges.
3 . technical or medical to cut a very thin flat piece from skin, a plant etc so that you can look at it under a ↑ microscope
4 . medical to cut a part of the body in a medical operation
section something ↔ off phrasal verb
to divide an area into parts, especially by putting something between the parts:
The vegetable plots were sectioned off by a low wall.