də̇ˈvizhən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English devisioun, from Middle French division, from Latin division-, divisio, from divisus (past participle of dividere to divide) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at divide
1.
a. : the act, process, or an instance of dividing into parts or portions : partition
made a division of his empire
division of the day into hours, minutes, seconds
: the state of being divided
remarked on the peculiar geographic division of the state
b. : the act, process, or an instance of dividing or distributing among a number : distribution , apportionment
protested his method of division of the profits
c. obsolete : arrangement , disposition
never set a squadron in the field, nor the division of a battle knows — Shakespeare
2. : one of the parts, sections, or groupings into which a whole is divided
3.
a. : the elementary organic unit of combined arms that is tactically and administratively a self-contained unit capable of independent action
b. : a military unit made up normally of five battle groups
c.
(1) : one of the groups usually of four ships into which a fleet or large squadron is divided
(2) : the basic unit of men for administration aboard ship and ashore
d. : a tactical subdivision of a squadron of ships or aircraft
4. obsolete : a portion of land allotted to an individual settler or to a group of settlers
5. : a definite portion of a nation, state, county, or other political unit marked off for administrative, judicial, or other purposes: as
a. : an election district in Great Britain
b. : a subdivision of a province or presidency in British India
6. : a segment of a transportation system (as a railroad, truckline, pipeline, or airline) designated by management as a semi-independent or autonomous operating unit
7. : a group of organisms forming part of some larger group ; specifically : a major primary category of the plant kingdom — compare phylum 2
8.
a. : a subordinate administrative unit of the executive department of the United States government usually ranking below a bureau
b. : a subordinate unit of state and local government
9. : a competitive class or category (as in boxing and wrestling) based on age, weight, skill, or other standard of eligibility
10. : a major administrative unit in an education institution of organization usually embracing several departments
the division of modern languages
11. : a major administrative unit of an industrial enterprise comprising at least several departments or constituting a complete integrated unit for a specific purpose
the radio division of an aviation corporation
12.
a. : something that divides, separates, or marks off
the divisions of the compass mark off its 32 points
: a dividing line
b. : the act, process, or an instance of separating or keeping apart (two objects or individuals)
used a screen to complete the division of the dining room from the kitchen
: the state of being separated : separation
the lovers mourned their hopeless division
13. : the condition or an instance of being divided in opinion or interest : disagreement , disunity
attempted to exploit the divisions between the two countries
14. : the process of finding how many times one number or quantity is contained in another
15. : the separation of a genus into its constituent species — compare fallacy of division , tree of porphyry
16.
a. : a florid instrumental variation upon a given melody of 17th and 18th century England
b. : a melismatic song or phrase of the 17th and 18th centuries
17. : a numerical determination of those members of a deliberative body that are for a motion and those who are against it either by a rising vote or by a physical separation into two groups
a division was being taken
the results of the division
the motion passed without a division — T.B.Macaulay
18. : the practice or an instance of dividing words or word elements in writing or printing by the use of a hyphen
19. : the apportionment of revenue among carrier participants sharing interline traffic : the distribution of revenue or expense among various parts of a system or organization
20. : plant propagation by dividing parts (as of a crown or a clump of suckers or tubers) and planting segments capable of producing roots and shoots
Synonyms: see part