释义 |
di·vi·sion \də̇ˈvizhən\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English devisioun, from Middle French division, from Latin division-, divisio, from divisus (past participle of dividere to divide) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at divide 1. a. : the act, process, or an instance of dividing into parts or portions : partition < made a division of his empire > < division of the day into hours, minutes, seconds > : the state of being divided < remarked on the peculiar geographic division of the state > b. : the act, process, or an instance of dividing or distributing among a number : distribution, apportionment < protested his method of division of the profits > c. obsolete : arrangement, disposition < never set a squadron in the field, nor the division of a battle knows — Shakespeare > 2. : one of the parts, sections, or groupings into which a whole is divided 3. a. : the elementary organic unit of combined arms that is tactically and administratively a self-contained unit capable of independent action b. : a military unit made up normally of five battle groups c. (1) : one of the groups usually of four ships into which a fleet or large squadron is divided (2) : the basic unit of men for administration aboard ship and ashore d. : a tactical subdivision of a squadron of ships or aircraft 4. obsolete : a portion of land allotted to an individual settler or to a group of settlers 5. : a definite portion of a nation, state, county, or other political unit marked off for administrative, judicial, or other purposes: as a. : an election district in Great Britain b. : a subdivision of a province or presidency in British India 6. : a segment of a transportation system (as a railroad, truckline, pipeline, or airline) designated by management as a semi-independent or autonomous operating unit 7. : a group of organisms forming part of some larger group; specifically : a major primary category of the plant kingdom — compare phylum 2 8. a. : a subordinate administrative unit of the executive department of the United States government usually ranking below a bureau b. : a subordinate unit of state and local government 9. : a competitive class or category (as in boxing and wrestling) based on age, weight, skill, or other standard of eligibility 10. : a major administrative unit in an education institution of organization usually embracing several departments < the division of modern languages > 11. : a major administrative unit of an industrial enterprise comprising at least several departments or constituting a complete integrated unit for a specific purpose < the radio division of an aviation corporation > 12. a. : something that divides, separates, or marks off < the divisions of the compass mark off its 32 points > : a dividing line b. : the act, process, or an instance of separating or keeping apart (two objects or individuals) < used a screen to complete the division of the dining room from the kitchen > : the state of being separated : separation < the lovers mourned their hopeless division > 13. : the condition or an instance of being divided in opinion or interest : disagreement, disunity < attempted to exploit the divisions between the two countries > 14. : the process of finding how many times one number or quantity is contained in another 15. : the separation of a genus into its constituent species — compare fallacy of division, tree of porphyry 16. a. : a florid instrumental variation upon a given melody of 17th and 18th century England b. : a melismatic song or phrase of the 17th and 18th centuries 17. : a numerical determination of those members of a deliberative body that are for a motion and those who are against it either by a rising vote or by a physical separation into two groups < a division was being taken > < the results of the division > < the motion passed without a division — T.B.Macaulay > 18. : the practice or an instance of dividing words or word elements in writing or printing by the use of a hyphen 19. : the apportionment of revenue among carrier participants sharing interline traffic : the distribution of revenue or expense among various parts of a system or organization 20. : plant propagation by dividing parts (as of a crown or a clump of suckers or tubers) and planting segments capable of producing roots and shoots Synonyms: see part |