compartment
Americannoun
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a part or space marked or partitioned off.
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a separate room, section, etc..
a baggage compartment.
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U.S. Railroads. a private bedroom with toilet facilities.
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a separate aspect, function, or the like.
the compartments of the human mind.
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Architecture. a distinct major division of a design.
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Heraldry. a decorative base, as a grassy mound, on which the supporters of an escutcheon stand or rest.
verb (used with object)
noun
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one of the sections into which an area, esp an enclosed space, is divided or partitioned
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any separate part or section
a compartment of the mind
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a small storage space; locker
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of compartment
1555–65; < Middle French compartiment < Italian compartimento. See compart, -ment
Explanation
A compartment is a space within another space, like the glove compartment in a car. Compartments are spaces, but they're not spaces that stand on their own. Rather, compartments are part of other spaces: they're subdivisions. The trunk is a compartment of a car. A pocket is a compartment of a suitcase. Closets are like compartments of rooms. One of the most common compartments is a car's glove compartment, where people throw all kinds of things. Anything that is divided into smaller spaces has compartments. The ventricles are like compartments of your heart.
Vocabulary lists containing compartment
"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 6
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A Farewell To Arms
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ment
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The researchers describe this system as a "pseudo-organelle," a functional compartment that is not enclosed by a membrane but still plays a major role in organizing cell behavior.
From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026
The robots have four wheels and a bigger internal compartment for carrying food and goods .
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026
She said, the injury had caused "compartment syndrome" which put her leg at risk.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Photos from the scene of her death show kids’ toys spilling out of her glove compartment.
From Slate • Jan. 9, 2026
In the back of the aircraft there was a separate compartment for the tail gunner, whose other job was to operate the radio.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
