SECTION

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does section mean? 

• SECTION (noun)
  The noun SECTION has 14 senses:

1. a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

2. a very thin slice (of tissue or mineral or other substance) for examination under a microscope

3. a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people

4. one of several parts or pieces that fit with others to constitute a whole object

5. a small team of policemen working as part of a police platoon

6. one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole

7. a land unit equal to 1 square mile

8. (geometry) the area created by a plane cutting through a solid

9. a small class of students who are part of a larger course but are taught separately

10. a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class

11. a small army unit usually having a special function

12. a specialized division of a large organization

13. a segment of a citrus fruit

14. the cutting of or into body tissues or organs (especially by a surgeon as part of an operation)

  Familiarity information: SECTION used as a noun is familiar.

• SECTION (verb)
  The verb SECTION has 1 sense:

1. divide into segments

  Familiarity information: SECTION used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SECTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

section; subdivision

Context example:

the history of this work is discussed in the next section

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

piece of writing; writing; written material (the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect))

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

introduction (the first section of a communication)

narration ((rhetoric) the second section of an oration in which the facts are set forth)

close; closing; conclusion; end; ending (the last section of a communication)

passage (a section of text; particularly a section of medium length)

mezuza; mezuzah (religious texts from Deuteronomy inscribed on parchment and rolled up in a case that is attached to the doorframe of many Jewish households in accordance with Jewish law)

sura (one of the sections (or chapters) in the Koran)

exposition ((music) the section of a movement (especially in sonata form) where the major musical themes first occur)

obbligato; obligato (a part of the score that must be performed without change or omission)

recapitulation ((music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) in which musical themes that were introduced earlier are repeated)

development ((music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) where the major musical themes are developed and elaborated)

sports section (the section of a newspaper that reports on sports)

spot (a short section or illustration (as between radio or tv programs or in a magazine) that is often used for advertising)

spot (a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance)

episode (a brief section of a literary or dramatic work that forms part of a connected series)

chapter (a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled)

book (a major division of a long written composition)

article; clause (a separate section of a legal document (as a statute or contract or will))

above (an earlier section of a written text)

canto (a major division of a long poem)

lead; lead-in; lede (the introductory section of a story)

insert (a folded section placed between the leaves of another publication)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A very thin slice (of tissue or mineral or other substance) for examination under a microscope

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

sections from the left ventricle showed diseased tissue

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

slice (a thin flat piece cut off of some object)

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

microscope slide; slide (a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Context example:

there are three synagogues in the Jewish section

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

area; country (a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

outskirts (outlying areas (as of a city or town))

locality; neck of the woods; neighborhood; neighbourhood; vicinity (a surrounding or nearby region)

Instance hyponyms:

Forbidden City (a walled section of Beijing that encloses the palace that was formerly the residence of the emperor of China)

Derivation:

section (divide into segments)

Sense 4

Meaning:

One of several parts or pieces that fit with others to constitute a whole object

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

section; segment

Context example:

finished the final segment of the road

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

part; portion (something less than the whole of a human artifact)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

dado (the section of a pedestal between the base and the surbase)

subdivision; subsection (a section of a section; a part of a part; i.e., a part of something already divided)

straight; straightaway (a straight segment of a roadway or racecourse)

length (a section of something that is long and narrow)

leaf (hinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door))

bend; curve (curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.))

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

unit; whole (an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity)

Derivation:

section (divide into segments)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A small team of policemen working as part of a police platoon

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

squad; team (a cooperative unit (especially in sports))

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

platoon (a team of policemen working under the military platoon system)

Sense 6

Meaning:

One of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

division; part; section

Context example:

the BBC's engineering division

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

concept; conception; construct (an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

component; constituent; element; factor; ingredient (an abstract part of something)

over ((cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch)

quarter ((football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided)

period ((ice hockey) one of three divisions into which play is divided in hockey games)

half (one of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval)

final period (the final division into which the play of a game is divided)

second period (the second division into which the play of a game is divided)

first period (the first division into which the play of a game is divided)

bout; round; turn ((sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive)

frame; inning ((baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat)

chukka; chukker ((polo) one of six divisions into which a polo match is divided)

game ((tennis) a division of play during which one player serves)

high point (the most enjoyable part of a given experience)

end (a final part or section)

middle (an intermediate part or section)

beginning (the first part or section of something)

frame (one of the ten divisions into which bowling is divided)

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

whole (all of something including all its component elements or parts)

Derivation:

section (divide into segments)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A land unit equal to 1 square mile

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

square mile (an area of 640 acres)

Sense 8

Meaning:

(geometry) the area created by a plane cutting through a solid

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

plane section; section

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

area; expanse; surface area (the extent of a 2-dimensional surface enclosed within a boundary)

Domain category:

geometry (the pure mathematics of points and lines and curves and surfaces)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

cross section (a section created by a plane cutting a solid perpendicular to its longest axis)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A small class of students who are part of a larger course but are taught separately

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

discussion section; section

Context example:

a graduate student taught sections for the professor's lecture course

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

class; course; form; grade (a body of students who are taught together)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

musical group; musical organisation; musical organization (an organization of musicians who perform together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

brass; brass section (the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments)

string section; strings (the section of an orchestra that plays stringed instruments)

percussion; percussion section; rhythm section (the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments)

reed section (the section of a band or orchestra that plays reed instruments)

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

orchestra (a musical organization consisting of a group of instrumentalists including string players)

band (instrumentalists not including string players)

Sense 11

Meaning:

A small army unit usually having a special function

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

army unit (a military unit that is part of an army)

Sense 12

Meaning:

A specialized division of a large organization

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

department; section

Context example:

she got a job in the historical section of the Treasury

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

division (an administrative unit in government or business)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

payroll; payroll department (the department that determines the amounts of wage or salary due to each employee)

security; security department (a department responsible for the security of the institution's property and workers)

government department (a department of government)

business department (a division of a business firm)

academic department (a division of a school that is responsible for a given subject)

personnel; personnel department; personnel office; staff office (the department responsible for hiring and training and placing employees and for setting policies for personnel management)

Sense 13

Meaning:

A segment of a citrus fruit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Context example:

he ate a section of the orange

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

segment (one of the parts into which something naturally divides)

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

citrous fruit; citrus; citrus fruit (any of numerous fruits of the genus Citrus having thick rind and juicy pulp; grown in warm regions)

Derivation:

section (divide into segments)

Sense 14

Meaning:

The cutting of or into body tissues or organs (especially by a surgeon as part of an operation)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

incision; section; surgical incision

Hypernyms ("section" is a kind of...):

cut; cutting (the act of penetrating or opening open with a sharp edge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "section"):

gastromy (surgical incision into the stomach)

perineotomy (surgical incision into the perineum)

laparotomy (surgical incision into the abdominal wall; often done to examine abdominal organs)

orchotomy (surgical incision into the testis to obtain material for analysis (as in cases of abnormally low sperm count))

sclerotomy (surgical incision of the sclerotic coat of the eye)

nephrotomy (incision into a kidney (usually to remove a kidney stone))

thoracotomy (surgical incision into the chest walls opening up the pleural cavity)

valvotomy; valvulotomy (incision into a stenosed cardiac valve to relieve the obstruction)

phlebotomy; venesection (surgical incision into a vein; used to treat hemochromatosis)

vasosection; vasotomy (surgical incision into or division of the vas deferens)

Holonyms ("section" is a part of...):

operation; surgery; surgical operation; surgical procedure; surgical process (a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body)

• SECTION (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Divide into segments

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

section; segment

Context example:

segment a compound word

Hypernyms (to "section" is one way to...):

divide; part; separate (come apart)

Verb group:

segment (divide or split up)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "section"):

syllabicate; syllabify; syllabise; syllabize (divide into syllables)

quarter (divide into quarters)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

section (one of several parts or pieces that fit with others to constitute a whole object)

section (one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole)

section (a segment of a citrus fruit)

section (a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people)

 Context examples 

The researchers found, across all sections of tissue, that higher NM-MRI signal was associated with higher concentrations of neuromelanin.

(Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI identified as a potential biomarker for psychosis, National Institutes of Health)

The different sections or regions of the spine — like the neck, thorax and lower back — take on very different shapes.

(What makes a mammal a mammal? Our spine, say scientists, National Science Foundation)

A section of the breast that contains the lobules (the glands that make milk).

(Breast lobe, NCI Dictionary)

C-sections are also more common among women carrying more than one baby.

(Cesarean Section, NIH)

A section of the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) physical health questionnaire that rates the type of comorbidity and the impact of that comorbidity on an individual's daily function.

(Older Americans Resources and Services Comorbidity Scale, NCI Thesaurus)

A section within the study document pertaining to data collected from non-human clinical study subjects.

(Non-human Clinical Subject Data Section, NCI Thesaurus)

Terminology used in Individual Case Safety Reports for description of adverse event outcomes, section B2 of FDA MedWatch Form.

(Adverse Event Outcome ICSR Terminology, NCI Thesaurus)

This element maps to the ProductDefectDiscovery class in ICSR and maps to the MedWatch Form 3500A section B1 (Product problem checkbox).

(Performed Product Problem Discovery, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

This instrument contains 5 sections with a total of 12 items pertaining to facial and oral movements, global judgments, trunk movements, dental status, and extremity movements.

(Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale Questionnaire, NCI Thesaurus)

A section of the Older Americans Resource Scale Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (OMFAQ) that seeks information on a person's level of functioning on daily activities of living.

(Activities of Daily Living Dimension of Functioning Questionnaire, NCI Thesaurus)