compartment

American  

[kuhm-pahrt-muhnt] / kəmˈpɑrt mənt /

noun

1. a part or space marked or partitioned off.

   Synonyms:

   section, division

2. a separate room, section, etc..

   a baggage compartment.

3. U.S. Railroads. a private bedroom with toilet facilities.

4. a separate aspect, function, or the like.

   the compartments of the human mind.

5. Architecture. a distinct major division of a design.

6. Heraldry. a decorative base, as a grassy mound, on which the supporters of an escutcheon stand or rest.

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verb (used with object)

1. to divide into compartments.

compartment British  

/ kəmˈpɑːtmənt, ˌkɒmpɑːtˈmɛntəl /

noun

1. one of the sections into which an area, esp an enclosed space, is divided or partitioned

2. any separate part or section

   a compartment of the mind

3. a small storage space; locker

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Other Word Forms

• compartmental adjective
• compartmentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of compartment

1555–65; < Middle French compartiment < Italian compartimento. See compart, -ment

Example Sentences

But hidden in a secret compartment was the real message.

From Literature

The hypothesis is that the submarine suffered a valve failure that allowed water to enter the battery compartment, triggering a fire and then an explosion.

From Barron's

The robots have four wheels and a bigger internal compartment for carrying food and goods .

From Los Angeles Times

But the focus is on distances—between people, and between the mental compartments in which they file away their sins.

From The Wall Street Journal

Unlike traditional compartments in the cell, these droplet-like clusters are not enclosed by membranes.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• alcove
• carriage
• cell
• chamber
• cubicle
• locker
• slot