section

noun

1. the act or process of cutting or separating by cutting; specif., an incision in surgery
2. 1. a part separated or removed by cutting; slice; division
   2. a very thin slice, as of tissue, used for microscopic study
3. 1. a part or division of a book, newspaper, etc.
   2. a numbered paragraph of a writing, a law, etc.
4. any distinct, constituent part a bookcase in five sections, various sections of society
5. a segment of an orange, grapefruit, etc.
6. see township (sense )
   1. a part of a city, country, etc.; district or region a hilly section, the business section
   2. ☆ a division of public lands, equal to 640 acres or one square mile (2.59 square kilometers or 259.005 hectares)
7. a loose subdivision of a biological genus, group, family, etc.
8. a view or drawing of a thing as it would appear if cut straight through in a given plane
9. any of the distinct groups of instruments or voices in an orchestra or chorus the woodwind section
10. any of several tactical subdivisions of military, air, or naval forces
11. ☆
    1. part of a sleeping car containing an upper and lower berth
    2. a division of a railroad right of way, usually several miles of track under the care of a single maintenance crew
12. ☆ any of two or more buses, trains, or airplanes put into service for a particular route and schedule to accommodate extra passengers
13. Educ. any of the classes into which the students taking a course with a large enrollment are divided Prof. Brown's section of Freshman English
14. Printing a mark (§) used to indicate a section in a book, etc., or as a reference mark
    also section mark

Etymology: L sectio < sectus, pp. of secare, to cut: see saw

transitive verb

1. to cut or divide into sections
2. to represent in sections, as in mechanical drawing