English Explanatory Dictionary

compartment

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A room, or section, or chamber, typically within a vehicle.
  2. One of the parts into which an area is subdivided.
  3. The part of a protein that serves a specific function.
  4. A mound (often of grass), shelf (of e.g. wall) or other thing beneath the shield in a coat of arms on which the supporters stand.
  5. A region in the body, delimited by a biological membrane.
verb
  1. To arrange in separate compartments.

Pronunciation

/kəmˈpɑɹtmənt/ /kəmˈpɑːtmənt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-compartment.wav

Word forms

compartment compartments compartmenting compartmented

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin com- Proto-Indo-European *perh₃-der.? Proto-Italic *partis Latin pars Latin partiō Latin partior Latin compartīrībor. Italian compartire Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Italian -mento Italian compartimentobor. Middle French compartimentder. English compartment First attested 1564, from Middle French compartiment, from Italian compartimento, from Late Latin compartiri (“to divide with, to share with”), from com- + partiri (“to apportion, to divide, to share”).

Derived words

biocompartment compartmentable compartmental compartmentation compartmentectomy compartmentful compartmentize compartmentless compartmentlike compartment syndrome driver's compartment engine compartment glove compartment intercompartment microcompartment multicompartment nanocompartment passenger compartment rhizocompartment smoking compartment subcompartment
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