Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » fraction

fraction

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

A fraction is a mathmatical expression with a numerator and a denominator, a disconnected piece or a small part of something. (noun)

An example of fraction is one third.
An example of fraction is a piece of glass that fell from a broken window.
An example of fraction is a piece of pie.

See fraction in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a breaking or dividing, specif., of the Host in the Mass
1. a small part broken off; fragment; scrap
2. a small part, amount, degree, etc.; portion
Chem. a part separated by fractional crystallization, distillation, etc.
Math.
1. an indicated quotient of two whole numbers, as ,
2. any quantity expressed in terms of a numerator and denominator, as x/y

transitive verb

to separate into fractions

See fraction in American Heritage Dictionary 4

(frăkˈshən)

noun

Mathematics An expression that indicates the quotient of two quantities, such as ¹/₃ .
A disconnected piece; a fragment.
A small part; a bit: moved a fraction of a step.
A chemical component separated by fractionation.

Word History: Our word fraction did not originally have a mathematical sense. It goes back ultimately to the Latin verb frangere, “to break.” From the stem of the past participle frāctus is derived Late Latin frāctiō (stem frāctiōn-), “a breaking” or “a breaking in pieces,” as in the breaking of the Eucharistic Host. In Medieval Latin the word frāctiō developed its mathematical sense, which was taken into Middle English along with the word. The earliest recorded sense of our word is “an aliquot part of a unit, a fraction or subdivision,” found in a work by Chaucer written about 1400. One of the next recorded instances of the word recalls its origins, referring to the “brekying or fraccioun” of a bone.

Learn more about fraction

» fraction synonyms

» fraction Culture

» fraction medical definition

» fraction science

» fraction sentence examples

» fraction images

Related Articles

» Explain Equivalent Fractions

» How to Divide Fractions

$fraction$