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Fraction
Definitions
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
"With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]"
- 2 a small part or item forming a piece of a whole wordnet
- 3 A ratio of two numbers (numerator and denominator), usually written one above the other and separated by a horizontal bar called the vinculum or, alternatively, in sequence on the same line and separated by a solidus (diagonal bar).
"Gasoline prices show the mill as a fraction, for example $3.59+⁹⁄₁₀."
- 4 the quotient of two rational numbers wordnet
- 5 A component of a mixture, separated by fractionation.
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- 6 a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process wordnet
- 7 In a eucharistic service, the breaking of the host.
"[…] The bread, when it is consecrated and made sacramental, is the body of our Lord; and the fraction and distribution of it is the communication of that body, which died for us upon the cross."
- 8 A small amount.
"I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town."
- 9 The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence. archaic
"Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any fraction or breaking."
- 1 To divide or break into fractions. transitive
- 2 perform a division wordnet
- 3 To fractionate. transitive
Etymology
Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione.
Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione.
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