/pahrt/ , n.
1. a portion or division of a whole that is separate or distinct; piece, fragment, fraction, or section; constituent: the rear part of the house; to glue the two parts together.
2. an essential or integral attribute or quality: a sense of humor is part of a healthy personality.
3. a section or division of a literary work.
4. a portion, member, or organ of an animal body.
5. any of a number of more or less equal quantities that compose a whole or into which a whole is divided: Use two parts sugar to one part cocoa.
6. an allotted portion; share.
7. Usually, parts .
a. a region, quarter, or district: a journey to foreign parts.
b. a quality or attribute establishing the possessor as a person of importance or superior worth: Being both a diplomat and a successful businesswoman, she is widely regarded as a woman of parts.
8. either of the opposing sides in a contest, question, agreement, etc.
9. the dividing line formed in separating the hair of the head and combing it in different directions.
10. a constituent piece of a machine or tool either included at the time of manufacture or set in place as a replacement for the original piece.
11. Music.
a. the written or printed matter extracted from the score that a single performer or section uses in the performance of concerted music: a horn part.
b. a section or division of a composition: the allegro part of the first movement.
12. participation, interest, or concern in something; role: The neighbors must have had some part in planning the surprise party.
13. a person's share in or contribution to some action; duty, function, or office: You must do your part if we're to finish by tonight.
14. a character or role acted in a play or sustained in real life.
15. for one's part , as far as concerns one: For my part, you can do whatever you please.
16. for the most part , with respect to the greatest part; on the whole; generally; usually; mostly: They are good students, for the most part.
17. in good part ,
a. without offense; in a good-natured manner; amiably: She was able to take teasing in good part.
b. to a great extent; largely: His success is in good part ascribable to dogged determination.
18. in part , in some measure or degree; to some extent; partly; partially: The crop failure was due in part to unusual weather conditions.
19. on the part of ,
a. so far as pertains to or concerns one: He expressed appreciation on the part of himself and his colleagues.
b. as done or manifested by: attention on the part of the audience. Also, on one's part .
20. part and parcel , an essential, necessary, or integral part: Her love for her child was part and parcel of her life.
21. take part , to participate; share or partake: They refused to take part in any of the activities of the community.
22. take someone's part , to align oneself with; support; defend: His parents took his part, even though he was obviously in the wrong.
v.t.
23. to divide (a thing) into parts; break; cleave; divide.
24. to comb (the hair) away from a dividing line.
25. to divide into shares; distribute in parts; apportion.
26. to put or keep apart; separate: They parted the calves from the herd.
27. Metall.
a. to separate (silver) from gold in refining.
b. to cut (one part) away from a piece, as an end from a billet.
c. to keep the surface of (a casting) separate from the sand of the mold.
28. Obs. to leave.
v.i.
29. to be or become divided into parts; break or cleave: The oil tanker parted amidships.
30. to go or come apart; separate, as two or more things.
31. to go apart from or leave one another, as persons: We'll part no more.
32. to be or become separated from something else (usually fol. by from ).
33. Naut. to break or become torn apart, as a cable.
34. to depart.
35. to die.
36. part company ,
a. to bid farewell or go separate ways; leave one another.
b. to dissolve a personal affiliation, relationship, etc., esp. because of irreconcilable differences.
c. to disagree.
37. part with , to give up (property, control, etc.); relinquish: to part with one's money.
adj.
38. partial; of a part: part owner.
adv.
39. in part; partly: part black.
[ bef. 1000; (n.) ME ( part- (s. of pars ) piece, portion; (v.) ME parten partir partire, deriv. of pars ]
Syn. 1. component, ingredient, division, sector. PART, PIECE, PORTION, SEGMENT, SECTION, FRACTION, FRAGMENT refer to something that is less than the whole. PART is the general word: part of a house. A PIECE suggests a part which is itself a complete unit or it may mean an irregular fragment: a piece of pie; a piece of a broken vase. A PORTION is a part allotted or assigned to a person, purpose, etc.: a portion of food. A SEGMENT is often a part into which something separates naturally: a segment of an orange.
SECTION suggests a relatively substantial, clearly separate part that fits closely with other parts to form a whole: a section of a fishing rod, a book. FRACTION suggests a less substantial but still clearly delimited part, often separate from other parts: a fraction of his former income. FRAGMENT suggests a broken, inconsequential, incomplete part, with irregular or imprecise outlines or boundaries: a fragment of broken pottery, of information. 6. apportionment, lot. 13. responsibility. 26. sever, sunder, dissociate, disconnect, disjoin, detach.
Ant. 1. whole. 23. join.