-shəˌnāt, usu -ād.+V transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: fraction (I) + -ate
1.
a. : to separate (a mixture) into different portions (as by distillation, precipitation, or screening) : subject to fractional distillation, fractional crystallization, or other fractional process
b. : to divide or break up (a whole or unit) into component parts or smaller units : separate into divisions, parts, sections, or fragments
practically all the lands have been … fractionated through allotment — Laura Thompson
suggest … we fractionate our problem by first looking for a criterion of meaning — Gustave Bergmann
2. : to replace (letters) by bifid or trifid substitutes