Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense sections, present participle sectioning, past tense, past participle sectioned
1. countable noun
A section of something is one of the parts into which it is divided or from which it is formed.
He acknowledged that his family belonged to a section of society known as 'the idlerich'. [+ of]
They moulded a complete new bow section for the boat.
...a large orchestra, with a vast percussion section.
...the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.
...a geological section of a rock.
Synonyms: part, piece, portion, division More Synonyms of section
2. See also cross-section
3. verb [usually passive]
If something is sectioned, it is divided into sections.
It holds vegetables in place while they are being peeled or sectioned. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: cut up, divide, cube, dice More Synonyms of section
4. countable noun
A section of an official document such as a report, law, or constitution is one of the parts into which it is divided.
...section 14 of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. [+ of]
...the all-important section on the powers of the federal government.
5. countable noun
A section is a diagram of something such as a building or a part of the body. It shows how the object wouldappear to you if it were cut from top to bottom and looked at from the side.
For some buildings a vertical section is more informative than a plan.
6. Caesarean section
Phrasal verbs:
See section off
More Synonyms of section
section in British English
(ˈsɛkʃən)
noun
1.
a part cut off or separated from the main body of something
2.
a part or subdivision of a piece of writing, book, etc
the sports section of the newspaper
3.
one of several component parts
4.
a distinct part or subdivision of a country, community, etc
5. US and Canadian
an area one mile square (640 acres) in a public survey, esp in the western parts of the US and Canada
6. New Zealand
a plot of land for building on, esp in a suburban area
7.
the section of a railway track that is maintained by a single crew or is controlled by a particular signal box
8.
the act or process of cutting or separating by cutting
9.
a representation of a portion of a building or object exposed when cut by an imaginary vertical plane so as to show its construction and interior
10. geometry
a.
a plane surface formed by cutting through a solid
b.
the shape or area of such a plane surface
Compare cross section (sense 1)
11. surgery
any procedure involving the cutting or division of an organ, structure, or part, such as a Caesarian section
12.
a thin slice of biological tissue, mineral, etc, prepared for examination by a microscope
13.
a segment of an orange or other citrus fruit
14.
a small military formation, typically comprising two or more squads or aircraft
15. Australian and New Zealand
a fare stage on a bus, tram, etc
16. music
a.
an extended division of a composition or movement that forms a coherent part of the structure
the development section
b.
a division in an orchestra, band, etc, containing instruments belonging to the same class
the brass section
17. Also called: signature, gathering, gather, quire
a folded printing sheet or sheets ready for gathering and binding
verb(transitive)
18.
to cut or divide into sections
19.
to cut through so as to reveal a section
20.
(in drawing, esp mechanical drawing) to shade so as to indicate sections
21. surgery
to cut or divide (an organ, structure, or part)
22. British social welfare
to have (a person) admitted to a psychiatric hospital under an appropriate section of the mental health legislation
Word origin
C16: from Latin sectiō, from secāre to cut
section in American English
(ˈsɛkʃən)
noun
1.
the act or process of cutting or separating by cutting; specif., an incision in surgery
2.
a.
a part separated or removed by cutting; slice; division
b.
a very thin slice, as of tissue, used for microscopic study
3.
a.
a part or division of a book, newspaper, etc.
b.
a numbered paragraph of a writing, a law, etc.
4.
any distinct, constituent part
a bookcase in five sections, various sections of society
5.
a segment of an orange, grapefruit, etc.
6.
a.
a part of a city, country, etc.; district or region
a hilly section, the business section
b. US
a division of public lands, equal to 640 acres or one square mile (2.59 square kilometersor 259.005 hectares)
see township (sense 4)
7.
a loose subdivision of a biological genus, group, family, etc.
8.
a view or drawing of a thing as it would appear if cut straight through in a given plane
9.
any of the distinct groups of instruments or voices in an orchestra or chorus
the woodwind section
10.
any of several tactical subdivisions of military, air, or naval forces
11. US
a.
part of a sleeping car containing an upper and lower berth
b.
a division of a railroad right of way, usually several miles of track under the care of a single maintenance crew
12. US
any of two or more buses, trains, or airplanes put into service for a particular route and schedule to accommodate extra passengers
13. Education
any of the classes into which the students taking a course with a large enrollment are divided
Prof. Brown's section of Freshman English
14. Printing
a mark (§) used to indicate a section in a book, etc., or as a reference mark
: also section mark
verb transitive
15.
to cut or divide into sections
16.
to represent in sections, as in mechanical drawing
SIMILAR WORDS: part
Word origin
L sectio < sectus, pp. of secare, to cut: see saw1
COBUILD Collocations
section
comments section
Examples of 'section' in a sentence
section
You will also need to complete the symptom section of the chart on a daily basis.
Kowalski, Robert E The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure (1990)
The section of track where the accident took place is a sharp curve.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
These are followed by brilliant sections on identities and war.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
But caesarean sections have become much safer.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Some sections of the orchestra are more demanding than others.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The whole bottom section was brimming with bright green crunchy cucumber.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They were born by caesarean section and sadly one died soon after.
The Sun (2016)
You might also like to look at some of the other sections in this book together.
Cohen, Julian & Kay, James Taking Drugs Seriously (1994)
But certain sections of society risk forcing trainers and jockeys back into the world of secrecy.
The Sun (2015)
Why is there one law for one section of society and one for another?
The Sun (2012)
He had been reported missing from a hospital after being sectioned.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It is unbelievable the speed you can carry into that section of the track.
The Sun (2012)
Births are often more difficult and there are more instances of caesarean sections.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Section off the hair in equal thickness so you can work through small sections with a large round brush.
The Sun (2010)
It was time to have another look at each completed section of the garden and consider change and improvement.
Bloom, Adrian Winter Garden Glory (1993)
The airline would have to bump up the costs because they would have to section a part of the aircraft off.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The alternative health section is informative, but very unconvincing.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The internal contradiction in this section of the Act is clear.
Cloke, Paul J (ed) Rural Land-Use Planning in Developed Nations (1989)
For the infamous operatic middle section, the band members left the stage as the studio recording played.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
section
British English: section /ˈsɛkʃən/ NOUN
A section of something is one of the parts that it is divided into.
A section of the bridge collapsed.
American English: section
Arabic: قِسْم
Brazilian Portuguese: seção
Chinese: 章节
Croatian: dio
Czech: oddělení
Danish: afsnit
Dutch: sectie
European Spanish: sección
Finnish: osasto
French: section
German: Abschnitt
Greek: ενότητα
Italian: sezione
Japanese: 部分
Korean: 잘라낸 부분
Norwegian: seksjon
Polish: sekcja
European Portuguese: secção
Romanian: secțiune
Russian: секция
Latin American Spanish: sección
Swedish: avdelning
Thai: ส่วนที่ตัดออก
Turkish: bölüm bina, konum
Ukrainian: секція
Vietnamese: phần
British English: section VERB
If something is sectioned, it is divided into sections.
It holds vegetables in place while they are being peeled or sectioned.
American English: section
Brazilian Portuguese: secionar
Chinese: 分成若干部分
European Spanish: dividir
French: couper en morceaux
German: teilen
Italian: sezionare
Japanese: 区分する
Korean: 분할되다
European Portuguese: seccionar
Latin American Spanish: dividir
All related terms of 'section'
C-section
→ cesarean (section)
section off
If an area is sectioned off , it is separated by a wall, fence , or other barrier from the surrounding area.
black section
(in Britain in the 1980s) an unofficial group within the Labour Party in any constituency that represented the interests of local Black people
conic section
one of a group of curves formed by the intersection of a plane and a right circular cone . It is either a circle , ellipse , parabola , or hyperbola , depending on the eccentricity , e , which is constant for a particular curve e = 0 for a circle; e <1 for an ellipse; e = 1 for a parabola; e>1 for a hyperbola
cross section
If you refer to a cross-section of particular things or people, you mean a group of them that you think is typical or representative of all of them.
half-section
a scale drawing of a section through a symmetrical object that shows only half the object
Section Eight
discharge from the armed forces because of military unsuitability , esp. psychological unfitness
section gang
a crew of persons ( section hands ) who do the maintenance work on a railroad section
section hand
a person who is responsible for maintaining a section of track
section mark
a mark (§) inserted into text matter to draw attention to a footnote or to indicate a section of a book, etc
tail section
the back or rear section of an aeroplane
centre section
the constricted part of the trunk between the ribs and hips
golden section
the proportion of the two divisions of a straight line or the two dimensions of a plane figure such that the smaller is to the larger as the larger is to the sum of the two. If the sides of a rectangle are in this proportion and a square is constructed internally on the shorter side, the rectangle that remains will also have sides in the same proportion
quarter section
a land measure, used in surveying , with sides half a mile long; 160 acres
rhythm section
The rhythm section of a band is the musicians whose main job is to supply the rhythm. It usually consists of bass and drums, and sometimes keyboard instruments.
sample section
a section of something, intended as representative of the whole
Caesarean section
A Caesarean or a Caesarean section is an operation in which a baby is lifted out of a woman's womb through an opening cut in her abdomen .
cesarean (section)
a surgical operation for delivering a baby by cutting through the mother's abdominal and uterine walls
classified section
the part of a publication that contains classified advertising
comments section
A section of something is one of the parts into which it is divided or from which it is formed.
magazine section
a magazinelike section in the Sunday editions of many newspapers, containing articles rather than news items and often letters, reviews , stories, puzzles , etc
meridian section
one of the imaginary lines joining the north and south poles at right angles to the equator , designated by degrees of longitude from 0° at Greenwich to 180°
percussion section
the part of an orchestra consisting of percussion instruments
development section
the act or process of growing, progressing , or developing
intermediate section
The intermediate section is the section of the borehole after the top hole , which has more consolidated rock.
square cross-section
If a kelly has a square cross-section , it has a surface area with four equal sides, when looked at as if has been sliced through.
subsection
A subsection of a text or a document such as a law is one of the smaller parts into which its main parts are divided .
hexagonal cross-section
If a kelly has a hexagonal cross-section , it has a surface area with six equal sides, when looked at as if has been sliced through.
Cesarean
of or relating to any of the Caesars , esp Julius Caesar
symphyseotomy
a surgical procedure to facilitate labour
Chinese translation of 'section'
section
(ˈsɛkʃən)
n(c)
(= part) 部分 (bùfen) (个(個), gè)
(= department) 部门(門) (bùmén) (个(個), gè)
[of document]节(節) (jié)
(= cross-section) 剖面图(圖) (pōumiàntú)
the business section商业版 (shāngyèbǎn)
All related terms of 'section'
cross section
( of : population ) 典型 diǎnxíng
the business section
商业版 shāngyèbǎn
the brass (section)
( Mus ) 铜(銅)管乐(樂)器 tóngguǎn yuèqì
the wind (section)
( Mus ) 管乐(樂)器(部) guǎnyuèqì (bù)
the woodwind (section)
( Mus ) 木管乐(樂)器(部) mùguǎn yuèqì (bù)
1 (noun)
Definition
a part cut off or separated from the main body of something
a geological section of a rock
Synonyms
part
A large part of his earnings went on repaying the bank loan.
piece
a piece of wood
Another piece of cake?
portion
I have spent a large portion of my life here.
division
sample
slice
Fiction takes up a large slice of the publishing market.
passage
He read a passage from the Bible.
component
Enriched uranium is a key component of nuclear weapons.
segment
the poorer segments of society
fragment
She read everything, digesting every fragment of news.
fraction
You will find only a fraction of the collection on display.
instalment
The next instalment deals with the social impact of the war.
cross section
subdivision
2 (noun)
Definition
a distinct part of a country or community
Kolonarai is a lovely residential section of Athens.
Synonyms
district
I drove around the business district.
area
the large number of community groups in the area
region
a remote mountain region
sector
Officers were going to retake sectors of the city.
zone
The area has been declared a disaster zone.
3 (noun)
She was in the dairy section of the supermarket.
Synonyms
department
He worked in the sales department.
part
He works in a different part of the company.
division
Each was divided into several divisions.
wing
the liberal wing of the Democratic party
sector
the nation's manufacturing sector
branch
He had a fascination for submarines and joined this branch of the service.
(verb)
Definition
to cut or divide into sections
It holds vegetables in place while they are being peeled or sectioned.
Synonyms
cut up
divide
cube
dice
fragment
Their country's government has fragmented into disarray.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of area
Definition
a section, part, or region
the large number of community groups in the area
Synonyms
region,
land,
quarter,
division,
sector,
district,
stretch,
territory,
zone,
plot,
province,
patch,
neighbourhood,
sphere,
turf (slang),
realm,
domain,
tract,
locality,
neck of the woods (informal)
in the sense of branch
Definition
a subdivision or subsidiary section of something larger or more complex
He had a fascination for submarines and joined this branch of the service.
Synonyms
division,
part,
section,
subdivision,
subsection
in the sense of component
Definition
a constituent part or feature of a whole
Enriched uranium is a key component of nuclear weapons.
Synonyms
part,
piece,
unit,
item,
element,
ingredient,
constituent
Synonyms of 'section'
section
Explore 'section' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of division
Definition
one of the parts into which something is divided
Each was divided into several divisions.
Synonyms
part,
bit,
piece,
section,
sector,
class,
category,
segment,
portion,
fraction,
compartment
in the sense of fraction
Definition
any part or subdivision
You will find only a fraction of the collection on display.
Synonyms
fragment,
part,
piece,
section,
sector,
selection,
segment
in the sense of fragment
Definition
an incomplete piece
She read everything, digesting every fragment of news.
Synonyms
piece,
part,
bit,
scrap,
particle,
portion,
fraction,
shiver (archaic, literary),
shred,
remnant,
speck,
sliver,
wisp,
morsel,
oddment,
chip
in the sense of fragment
Definition
to break into small pieces or different parts
Their country's government has fragmented into disarray.
Synonyms
break up,
divide,
split up,
disunite
in the sense of instalment
Definition
one of the portions into which a debt is divided for payment at regular intervals
The next instalment deals with the social impact of the war.
Synonyms
part,
section,
chapter,
episode,
portion,
division
in the sense of passage
Definition
a section of a written work, speech, or piece of music
He read a passage from the Bible.
Synonyms
extract,
reading,
piece,
section,
sentence,
text,
clause,
excerpt,
paragraph,
verse,
quotation
in the sense of piece
Definition
a separate bit or part
a piece of woodAnother piece of cake?
Synonyms
bit,
section,
slice,
part,
share,
division,
block,
length,
quantity,
scrap,
segment,
portion,
fragment,
fraction,
chunk,
wedge,
shred,
slab,
mouthful,
morsel,
wodge (British, informal)
in the sense of portion
Definition
a part of a whole
I have spent a large portion of my life here.
Synonyms
part,
bit,
piece,
section,
scrap,
segment,
fragment,
fraction,
chunk,
wedge,
hunk,
morsel
in the sense of region
Definition
an area considered as a unit for geographical or social reasons
a remote mountain region
Synonyms
area,
country,
place,
part,
land,
quarter,
division,
section,
sector,
district,
territory,
zone,
province,
patch,
turf (slang),
tract,
expanse,
locality
in the sense of sector
Definition
a portion into which an area is divided for military operations
Officers were going to retake sectors of the city.
Synonyms
area,
part,
region,
district,
zone,
quarter,
belt,
neighbourhood,
tract
Additional synonyms
in the sense of sector
Definition
a part or subdivision, esp. of a society or an economy
the nation's manufacturing sector
Synonyms
part,
division,
branch,
category,
arm,
sphere,
stratum,
subdivision
in the sense of segment
Definition
one of several parts or sections into which an object is divided
the poorer segments of society
Synonyms
section,
part,
piece,
division,
element,
slice,
portion,
wedge,
compartment,
subdivision
in the sense of slice
Definition
a share or portion
Fiction takes up a large slice of the publishing market.
Synonyms
part,
share,
piece,
proportion,
allocation,
allotment,
tranche
in the sense of wing
Definition
a faction or group within a political party or other organization
the liberal wing of the Democratic party
Synonyms
faction,
grouping,
group,
set,
side,
arm,
section,
camp,
branch,
circle,
lobby,
segment,
caucus,
clique,
coterie,
schism,
cabal
in the sense of zone
Definition
a region, area, or section characterized by some distinctive feature or quality