fraction

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione. === Pronunciation === enPR: frăkʹshən, IPA(key): /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/ Hyphenation: frac‧tion Rhymes: -ækʃən === Noun === fraction (plural fractions) A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part. (arithmetic) A ratio of two numbers (numerator and denominator), usually written one above the other and separated by a horizontal bar called the vinculum or, alternatively, in sequence on the same line and separated by a solidus (diagonal bar). Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fraction (chemistry) A component of a mixture, separated by fractionation. (Christianity) In a eucharistic service, the breaking of the host. A small amount. (archaic) The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence. ==== Usage notes ==== Can be used with either countable or uncountable nouns; however, the word fraction takes the number of the noun it is paired with. If used with a plural countable noun, it needs to take a plural verb. If used with a singular countable noun or an uncountable noun, it needs to take a singular verb. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === fraction (third-person singular simple present fractions, present participle fractioning, simple past and past participle fractioned) (transitive) To divide or break into fractions. (transitive) To fractionate. ==== Translations ==== === References === “fraction”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present. “fraction”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN. "fraction" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “fraction”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === Croftian, factor in, infocrat == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Old French fraction, borrowed from Latin fractiō. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fʁak.sjɔ̃/ === Noun === fraction f (plural fractions) (now rare) breakup la fraction du pain, le fait de rompre le pain ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) fraction (small amount) Je me suis endormi pendant une fraction de seconde. ― I fell asleep for a fraction of a second. (arithmetic) fraction Coordinate terms: numérateur, dénominateur barre de fraction ― fraction bar En divisant deux par trois, on obtient une fraction irréductible. ― When dividing two by three, you get an irreducible fraction. ==== Derived terms ==== fractionnaire fractionnel fractionner ==== Related terms ==== fracture ==== Descendants ==== → Romanian: fracțiune → Turkish: fraksiyon → Persian: فراکسیون (ferâksyon) === Further reading === “fraction”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Anagrams === fronçait