subgroup

American  

[suhb-groop] / ˈsʌbˌgrup /

noun

1. a subordinate group; a division of a group.

2. Chemistry. a division of a group in the periodic table.

3. Mathematics. a subset of a group that is closed under the group operation and in which every element has an inverse in the subset.

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subgroup British  

/ ˈsʌbˌɡruːp /

noun

1. a distinct and often subordinate division of a group

2. a mathematical group whose members are members of another group, both groups being subject to the same rule of combination

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Etymology

Origin of subgroup

First recorded in 1835–45; sub- + group

Example Sentences

Subgroup, sub′grōōp, n. any subordinate group in a classification.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various