fraction

[ frak-shuhn ]

/ ˈfræk ʃən /

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See synonyms for: fraction / fractions on Thesaurus.com

noun

Mathematics.

a number usually expressed in the form a/b.
a ratio of algebraic quantities similarly expressed.

Chemistry. (in a volatile mixture) a component whose range of boiling point temperatures allows it to be separated from other components by fractionation.

a part as distinct from the whole of anything; portion or section: The meeting started with a fraction of us present.

a very small part or segment of anything; minute portion: Only a fraction of the work was completed on time.

a very small amount; a little bit: It was only a fraction away from completion.

a piece broken off; fragment or bit.

the act of breaking.

Ecclesiastical. (in a Eucharistic service) the breaking of the Host.

verb (used with or without object)

to divide or break into fractions, sections, factions, etc.: Dissension threatens to fraction the powerful union.

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Origin of fraction

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fraccioun, from Late Latin frāctiōn- (stem of frāctiō) “a breaking (in pieces),” equivalent to Latin frāct(us) (past participle of frangere “to break, shatter”; see break) + -iōn--ion

synonym study for fraction

3, 6. See part.

OTHER WORDS FROM fraction

sub·frac·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fraction in a sentence

High Frequency Trading (HFT) is a method used by financial institutions whereby stocks are traded in fractions of a second.
The Damage from Day-Trading|Ilana Glazer|March 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Apple claims to have improved the glare problem, but its results would have to be measured in fractions.
5 Reasons I Hate My New MacBook Pro: A Geek’s Critique|Jason Stewart|June 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The last fractions were lighter in color and apparently much purer than the first.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron)|William Anderson Syme
The poison, if precipitated at all by lead acetate, must have gone down in one of the preceding fractions.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron)|William Anderson Syme

The filtrate B (p. 20) from which gallic acid was precipitated by sulphuric acid in four fractions was saved to examine for sugar.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron)|William Anderson Syme
This remedy was that same oyster-shell which is to be prescribed "fractions of the sextillionth or decillionth degree."
Medical Essays|Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Take a master petroleum chemist, infinitely skilled in the separation of crude oil into its fractions.
The Tunnel Under The World|Frederik Pohl

British Dictionary definitions for fraction

fraction

/ (ˈfrækʃən) /

noun

maths

a ratio of two expressions or numbers other than zero
any rational number that is not an integer

any part or subdivisiona substantial fraction of the nation

a small piece; fragment

chem a component of a mixture separated by a fractional process, such as fractional distillation

Christianity the formal breaking of the bread in Communion

the act of breaking

verb

(tr) to divide

Word Origin for fraction

C14: from Late Latin fractiō a breaking into pieces, from Latin fractus broken, from frangere to break

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for fraction

fraction

[ frăk′shən ]

A number that compares part of an object or a set with the whole, especially the quotient of two whole numbers written in the form ab. The fraction 12, which means 1 divided by 2, can represent such things as 10 pencils out of a box of 20, or 50 cents out of a dollar. See also decimal fraction improper fraction proper fraction.

A chemical component separated by fractionation.

Cultural definitions for fraction

fraction

A mathematical expression representing the division of one whole number by another. Usually written as two numbers separated by a horizontal or diagonal line, fractions are also used to indicate a part of a whole number or a ratio between two numbers. Fractions may have a value of less than one, as with 1/2, or equal to one, as with 2/2, or more than one, as with 3/2. The top number of a fraction is the numerator and the bottom number is the denominator.

fraction

Origin of fraction

synonym study for fraction

OTHER WORDS FROM fraction

Words related to fraction

How to use fraction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fraction

Word Origin for fraction

Scientific definitions for fraction

Cultural definitions for fraction