section

1. 1

   A cutting; a part cut out from the rest of something.

2. 2

   A part, piece, subdivision of anything.

   • Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapis
3. 3

   A part, piece, subdivision of anything.; A group of instruments in an orchestra.

   • The horn section is the group of symphonic musicians who play the French horn.
4. 4

   A part of a document, especially a major part; often notated with §.

5. 5

   An act or instance of cutting.

6. 6

   A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).

   • Japan and China also produced Noah's arks, where Noah was known as Fohi. They were of wood and beautifully decorated, the animals being bright in color and usually flat in section and fixed to flat stands.
7. 7

   A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; A cross-section perpendicular the longitudinal axis of an aircraft in flight.

8. 8

   A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; A function that generalizes the notion of the graph of a function; formally, a continuous right inverse to the projection map of a fiber bundle.

9. 9

   A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; A right inverse of a morphism in some category

10. 10

    A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; An object which is defined by analogy with sections of fiber bundles but in a more general setting (that of sheaves). Formally, an element of the image of an open set under the action of a (pre-)sheaf.

syn. sectio · division · part · slice · piece · snippet

ant. whole

1. 1

   To cut, divide or separate into pieces.transitive

   • Overlap spans and neutral sections have been provided at intervals along the line, which is thus sectioned electrically, not only at the feeder station and track sectioning cabins, but also by switches at certain overlap spans.
2. 2

   To reduce to the degree of thinness required for study with the microscope.transitive

3. 3

   To commit (a person) to a hospital for mental health treatment as an involuntary patient. So called after various sections of legal acts regarding mental health.AustraliaNew-ZealandUK

   • Tribunals were set up as watchdogs in cases of compulsory detention (sectioning). […] Informal patients, however, could be sectioned, and this was often a fear of patients once they were in hospital.
   • The doctor then sectioned her, making her an involuntary patient, and had her moved to a secure ward.
4. 4

   To perform a cesarean section on (someone).transitive

   • You may hear a physician say, "I don't want to section her until the baby declares itself."