seg|ment

seg|ment «SEHG muhnt», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a piece or part cut off, marked off, or broken off; division; section: »

An orange is easily pulled apart into its segments. There is a solid segment of educated citizens in the Latin American countries as well as in the United States (Newsweek).

SYNONYM(S): portion.

2. Geometry. a) a part of a circle cut off by a line, especially a part bounded by an arc and its chord. b) a part of a sphere cut off by two parallel planes. c) any finite section between two points on a line.

3. Biology. one of a series of parts having a more or less similar structure: »

a segment of a tapeworm.

–v.t., v.i.

to divide into segments: »

The body of a vertebrate is segmented according to the number of vertebrae, whether any actual division of parts may be evident or not.

╂[< Latin segmentum < secāre to cut]