I. ˈseg-mənt noun
Etymology: Latin segmentum, from secare to cut — more at saw
Date: 1570
1. : a portion cut off from a geometric figure by one or more points, lines, or planes: as
a. : the area of a circle bounded by a chord and an arc of that circle
b. : the part of a sphere cut off by a plane or included between two parallel planes
c. : the finite part of a line between two points in the line
2.
a. : a separate piece of something : bit , fragment
chop the stalks into short segment s
b. : one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is divided or marked off by or as if by natural boundaries
all segment s of the population agree
Synonyms: see part
• seg·men·tary -mən-ˌter-ē adjective
II. ˈseg-ˌment transitive verb
Date: 1859
: to separate into segments : give off as segments