I. ˈpär]t, ˈpȧ], usu ]d.+V\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French & Old English, both from Latin part-, pars; akin to Old Irish rann part, Sanskrit pūrta reward, Latin parare to prepare — more at pare
1.
a.
(1) : one of the equal or unequal portions into which something is or is regarded as divided : something less than a whole : a unit (as a number, quantity, or mass) held to constitute with one or more other units something larger : constituent , fraction , fragment , member , piece
the greater part of the highway … is full of sharp curves — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
the vast part of Englishmen who were conscious of a political change — Francis Hackett
in the early part of the summer
the road was passable only part of the year — Samuel Johnson
(2) : an essential portion or integral element of something
a Boer's wagon was as much a part of him as his bed — Stuart Cloete
racial prejudice is very much a part of the country — B.M.Beck
as if light and shadow were part of her being — Edith Sitwell
b. : an equal constituent portion : one of several or many like units into which something is divided or of which it is composed : a proportional division or ingredient
mix the powder with three parts of water
the compound contained two parts oxygen
c. : a constituent portion of something in mathematics: as
(1) : aliquot , submultiple
(2) : a mathematical aggregate all of whose elements are also elements of another aggregate
(3) : a line or other element of a geometrical figure
d. : a portion of a plant or animal body: as
(1) : essential element : organ , member
the chief parts of the digestive system are the esophagus, stomach, intestine, and associated glands
(2) : an indefinite area or one lacking or not considered in respect to a natural boundary : spot , place
bathe the affected part with warm water
(3) : the external genital and excretory organs — usually used in plural; called also private parts, privy parts
e.
(1) : a formal distinctive division of a literary work
a story in four parts
(2) : one of a series of sections of a literary work sold separately and at intervals and designed eventually to be bound into one or more permanent volumes
two volumes sold in parts by subscription
f.
(1) : a vocal or instrumental line or melody in concerted music or in harmony
(2) : a particular voice or instrument in concerted music ; also : the individual score for it
the alto part
the viola part
g. : a portion of a line in a ship's rigging
standing parts
hauling parts
h.
(1) : a constituent member of a machine or other apparatus
the … mechanics had the names for the parts of the planes — Charlton Laird
(2) : such a member existing separately apart from a machine
a dealer in automobile parts and accessories
2. : something belonging to, assumed by, or falling to one (as in a division or apportionment) : share
wanted no part of the proposal
bad men … claim as much part in God as his best servants — John Milton
3. : one's share or allotted task in an action : duty , function , office
do its part in helping persons … interested in the field of research — Bulletin of Meharry Medical College
it is the part of a poet to humor the imagination — Joseph Addison
4. : one of the opposing sides in a relationship involving conflict or rivalry (as a contest, question, dispute, contract, or transaction)
he that is not against us is on our part — Mk 9:40 (Authorized Version)
make whole kingdoms take her brother's part — Edmund Waller
5.
a. archaic : a side or direction in space
on every part walled in — Thomas Hutchinson
b. archaic : hand 3b
on the other part , I judged that I might lose nearly as much — R.L.Stevenson
6.
a. : a portion of an unspecified territorial area (as of a country or the world) : district , quarter , region
go into … camp with the other fellows from our part — Alice F. Webb
— usually used in plural
taking off for parts unknown — Meridel Le Sueur
Australian soldiers in foreign parts — William Power
the oddest marker in these parts — S.H.Holbrook
b.
(1) : a portion of a specified territorial area
lawyers came from all parts of the state — American Guide Series: Louisiana
no new state shall … be formed by the junction of two or more states or parts of states — U.S. Constitution
the central part of the eastern section of the state — American Guide Series: Oregon
(2) parts plural , usually capitalized : a territorial area forming one of the three major divisions of the county of Lincoln, England, and now constituting an administrative county
the Parts of Holland
the Parts of Kesteven
the Parts of Lindsey
7.
a. : a role or function assumed by a person in real life
he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman — Ruth 3:13 (Authorized Version)
b. : a function or course of action performed : a position undertaken
objected to the government's part in the strike
8.
a.
(1) : the words and stage directions assigned to a particular actor in a dramatic production
the actress learned her part well
(2) : such words and directions set down in written form
the director handed him the part
b. : a particular character created by an actor in a dramatic production
the part of Ophelia in Hamlet
c. : the role taken by an actor who creates such a character
a speaking part
9.
a. : a constituent of character or capacity : a personal quality : a natural or acquired attribute (as an ability or talent) — usually used in plural
a steady lad, of good brilliant parts — Walter Besant
a man of varied parts, learning, and culture — Jossleyn Hennessy
his natural parts were respectable — V.L.Parrington
b. parts plural : such personal qualities of a superior kind (as high intellectual ability, cleverness, talent)
he had parts and his sisters … expected him to do great things — W.S.Maugham
a man of parts and of great culture — Geoffrey Boumphrey
10. archaic : a particle of matter
11. : the line where the hair is parted
the part in your hair is a bit crooked
12. : a course of conduct
I thought silence the better part — H.J.Laski
specifically : one required or suggested by a specified quality
it would be the part of prudence … to moderate his behavior — G.F.Kennan
it is the part of wisdom to compare different cases — John Dewey
Synonyms:
part , portion , piece , detail , member , division , section , segment , sector , fraction , fragment , and parcel agree in meaning something less than a whole that is considered apart or actually separated from it. part is the most general and comprehensive, being interchangeable with any of the other terms
a part of a machine
the greater part of a square
a part of a year
a part of a statue
portion , although it signifies a part, does not necessarily imply an integral or assembled part; it can also suggest an assigned or allotted part (see the synonymy at fate )
a portion of a diary
the greater portion of a life
a considerable portion of the town was burned — American Guide Series: Minnesota
a portion of the voting population
piece usually applies to a separate or detached part of a whole, often so stressing the idea of independence that the sense of a whole is extremely weak or lacking
a piece of pie
a piece of hot pig iron
a piece of furniture
detail applies to a part of a plan or design, especially in a painting or other art work, often signifying a part or feature that is small but important
the details of domestic life on a farm — Havelock Ellis
the details of the landscape dissolved in shadows — American Guide Series: New York City
the most interesting detail of the house plan was its ornamentation
member applies to one of the units of which a body (as a human body, legislative body, club, or construction such as a chair) is composed, implying both association with and separability from the whole
a member of a committee
a loss of an arm or other member in an accident
the design of compression members of bridge trusses — U.S. National Bureau of Standards Annual Report
a mere shell covering the structural members — American Guide Series: New York City
division and section apply to a distinct often detached part formed by or as if by cutting, division often suggesting a larger part than section
the bureaus are subdivided into divisions — J.E.Pate
the division of activities arranged by museum — Ralph Linton
the New York City Police Department is split into parts, the detective division and the uniformed division — Walter Arm
in my division of the class were four friends
a section of the country
a section of a circle
a section of a cake
segment , often interchangeable with section , is often preferred to section in distinguishing a part separated by natural lines of cleavage or determined by the construction of the whole
Berkeley's career in Virginia was divided into two segments by the English civil war — G.W.Johnson
essential raw materials for a broad segment of American industry — Crops in Peace & War
the segments of an orange
In mathematical use sector signifies any part of a circle bounded by an arc and two radii, and sector in general use can be any section roughly corresponding to this or any section of a whole conceived of as divided like a statistical circle into statistical portions; or, by extension, it can mean any portion cut off or out
we must consider the German problem as a whole and not in sectors — A.H.Vandenberg
the expansion of military production will cut into the civilian sector of the economy — L.J.Walinsky
each society divides its total membership into a series of categories and assigns different sectors of the total culture to each category — Ralph Linton
the tiny sector of the puzzle which he has chosen for his own province, finding some new pieces that fit neatly into place and properly rearranging some old ones — R.D.Altick
fraction usually suggests a very small or negligible part of the whole
only a fraction of the cost — Dun's Review
told him the merest fraction of our experiences — Kenneth Roberts
a reduction of immigration to a mere fraction of what it used to be — P.A.Sorokin
fragment applies to a small part disconnected from the whole especially by breaking, and often applies to a small piece of a whole remaining after the whole has been almost totally eaten, used, or worn away
the fragments of a broken glass
the artist takes up some fragment of that existence, transfigures it, shows it — Havelock Ellis
they represent only a fragment of the dramatic literature that once existed — R.D.Altick
a fragment of an ancient Greek vase
parcel in this connection is now used chiefly in law to mean a piece of land or in such a fixed phrase as part and parcel; its general sense implies an undetached and undetachable connection with the whole of which it is a part
a number of real estate parcels in the downtown area — Current Biography
Irian has always been part and parcel of Indonesia — Cecil Hobbs
demanded increasing parcels of Indian territory — H.M.Hyman
held a small parcel of stock — American Guide Series: Michigan
•
- for one's part
- for the most part
- in good part
- in part
- of the part of
- on the part of
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English parten, from Old French partir to divide, go away, from Latin partire, partiri to divide, from part- pars part — more at part I
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to separate from or take leave of someone — used with from
this ring I gave him when he parted from me — Shakespeare
or sometimes with with
just after I had parted with him at his lodgings — Matthew Arnold
b. : to relinquish possession or control of something — used with with
sell securities or … part with some liquid cash — R.B.Westerfield
willing to part with his right to vote — E.H.Collis
or sometimes with from
his precious bag which he would by no means part from — George Eliot
2. obsolete : to have a part or share : partake
they shall part alike — 1 Sam 30:24 (Authorized Version)
3.
a. : to become separated into distinct parts : come apart
saw the curtains part … on the next act — Winifred Bambrick
b. : to quit each other's company : take leave of one another
they parted at the door — Irving Bacheller
4.
a. : to go away : set out : take one's leave : depart
parted hence to embark for Milan — Shakespeare
b. : die
parted ev'n just between twelve and one — Shakespeare
5. : to become separated, freed, or detached from something
strips of three-ply that had … parted from the glue — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
6. : to become divided or broken (as into segments or pieces)
the port cable suddenly parted — R.B.O'Brien
7. : to cause separation, division, or distinction
the lot causeth contentions to cease and parteth between the mighty — Prov 18:18 (Authorized Version)
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to divide or separate into distinct parts (as by breaking, cutting, cleaving)
thou shalt part it in pieces and pour oil thereon — Lev 2:6 (Authorized Version)
(2) : to divide by assigning or making physical boundaries
b. : to separate (hair) into two portions on each side of a line of demarcation
parted her hair just right of the middle
c. : to break or suffer the breaking of (as a rope or anchor chain)
the ship parted her hawser in the gale
2.
a. : to divide into shares and distribute (as among a number of recipients) : allot , apportion
parted my garments among them — Jn 19:24 (Revised Standard Version)
b. archaic : to share with one or more other persons
parted his breakfast … with the child and her grandfather — Charles Dickens
3.
a. : to remove from contact or contiguity : cause to go apart : disunite , separate , sunder
if aught but death part thee and me — Ruth 1:17 (Authorized Version)
— often used with from
had been parted from each other years before
part animals from a herd
b. : to keep separate : form a boundary or interval between : divide
the narrow seas that part the French and English — Shakespeare
c. : to hold apart (as combatants) : stand between : intervene between
part them! They are incens'd — Shakespeare
d. : to separate by a process of extraction, elimination, or secretion
part gold from silver
4. : to bring (as an association) to an end by separating the parties involved
you are … come to part almost a fray — Shakespeare
5.
a. archaic : to take leave of : depart from : leave , quit
since presently your souls must part your bodies — Shakespeare
loth to part his country — Maria Edgeworth
b. dialect Britain : to give up : relinquish
6. obsolete : to take sides with : espouse the cause of
who parted our disaffected people and stopped all prosecution of them — Robert Wodrow
Synonyms: see separate
•
- part company
III. adverb
Etymology: part (I)
: in a measure : partly
was at least part right
the rains came down …, part spoiling the cochineal crop — Oliver La Farge
IV. adjective
Etymology: part (I)
: partial
this woman has lived only a part life — H.A.Overstreet
a part truth
part payments
V. abbreviation
1. participating
2. participle; participial
3. particular
4. partner