segment

[ noun seg-muhnt; verb seg-ment, seg-ment ]

/ noun ˈsɛg mənt; verb ˈsɛg mɛnt, sɛgˈmɛnt /

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See synonyms for: segment / segmented / segmenting / segments on Thesaurus.com

noun

one of the parts into which something naturally separates or is divided; a division, portion, or section: a segment of an orange.

Geometry.

a part cut off from a figure, especially a circular or spherical one, by a line or plane, as a part of a circular area contained by an arc and its chord or by two parallel lines or planes.
Also called line segment. a finite section of a line.

Zoology.

any of the rings that compose the body of an annelid or arthropod.
any of the discrete parts of the body of an animal, especially of an arthropod.

an object, as a machine part, having the form of a segment or sector of a circle.

Computers.

a portion of a program, often one that can be loaded and executed independently of other portions.
a unit of data in a database.

an arclike support on which the typebars of a typewriter rest when not in use.

verb (used with or without object)

to separate or divide into segments.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of segment

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin segmentum, equivalent to sec(āre) “to cut” + -mentum-ment

synonym study for segment

1. See part.

OTHER WORDS FROM segment

seg·men·tar·y

[seg-muhn-ter-ee], /ˈsɛg mənˌtɛr i/, adjectiveseg·men·tate, adjectivein·ter·seg·ment, noun, adjectivemul·ti·seg·ment, adjective

mul·ti·seg·ment·ed, adjectivenon·seg·men·tar·y, adjectivenon·seg·ment·ed, adjectiveun·seg·men·tar·y, adjectiveun·seg·ment·ed, adjective

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

How to use segment in a sentence

We’re leading the charge in the premium segment and see more people looking for high-quality offerings in the space everyday.
Canned wine might have been primed for socializing in the era of social distancing|Rachel King|November 8, 2020|Fortune
That information allows advertisers to target different segments of readers based on a number of basic factors, ranging from their occupation to whether they have children.
‘We seized on podcasts’: How Slate used audio as the foundation of its first-party data strategy|Max Willens|November 6, 2020|Digiday
Pinterest, Snap, YouTube and TikTok figure prominently in this segment as well.
COVID helped drive record ad revenue for big tech in Q3|Greg Sterling|November 4, 2020|Search Engine Land
The move, opposed by the state’s large restaurant and hospitality industries battered by the hit to revenue because of the pandemic, is likely to impact a large segment of Florida’s workforce.
Florida votes to raise minimum wage to $15|Phil Wahba|November 4, 2020|Fortune

Think in terms of segments, and always get the latest word on water availability.
5 of the Country's Most Unique Treks|Outside Editors|November 3, 2020|Outside Online
Notes: SEGMENTING CITRUS Using a paring knife, cut off the top and bottom of the fruit to expose the flesh.
Shaved Fennel, Roasted Potatoes|The Daily Beast|November 25, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Tertian segmenting forms are less frequently typical than quartan.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Nor can it segment itself without also segmenting its linked totem kin or kins, which merely means segmenting the local tribe.
The Secret of the Totem|Andrew Lang
Cilia appear in Phascolosoma (Selenka, No. 369) while the ovum is still segmenting.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
The first egg segmenting at a given temperature has the maximal, the last egg segmenting has the minimal mass of enzyme.
The Organism as a Whole|Jacques Loeb

British Dictionary definitions for segment

segment

noun (ˈsɛɡmənt)

maths

a part of a line or curve between two points
a part of a plane or solid figure cut off by an intersecting line, plane, or planes, esp one between a chord and an arc of a circle

one of several parts or sections into which an object is divided; portion

zoology any of the parts into which the body or appendages of an annelid or arthropod are divided

linguistics a speech sound considered in isolation

verb (sɛɡˈmɛnt)

to cut or divide (a whole object) into segments

Derived forms of segment

segmentary (ˈsɛɡməntərɪ, -trɪ), adjective

Word Origin for segment

C16: from Latin segmentum, from secāre to cut

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 segment

segment

[ sĕg′mənt ]

The portion of a line between any two of its points.

The region bounded by an arc of a circle and the chord that connects the endpoints of the arc.

The portion of a sphere included between a pair of parallel planes that intersect it or are tangent to it.

segment

Origin of segment

synonym study for segment

OTHER WORDS FROM segment

Words related to segment

How to use segment in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for segment

Derived forms of segment

Word Origin for segment

Scientific definitions for segment