*section*

n. One opposed to vivisection [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. bissection. ] Division into two parts, esp. two equal parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Surg.), the operation of taking a child from the womb by cutting through the walls of the abdomen and uterus; -- so called because Julius Cæsar is reported to have been brought into the world by such an operation; -- called also caesarean.
Syn. -- cesarean section, cesarian section, caesarean section, caesarian section, C-section, cesarean, cesarian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. callere to be insensible + E. section. ] Painless vivisection; -- opposed to sentisection. B. G. Wilder.

n. (Surg.), the operation of taking a child from the womb by cutting through the walls of the abdomen and uterus; -- so called because Julius Cæsar is reported to have been brought into the world by such an operation; -- called also caesarean.
Syn. -- caesarean section, cesarian section, caesarian section, C-section, cesarean, cesarian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a flat plane cutting through a three-dimensional object, usually at right angles to the longest axis of the object. [ PJC ]

2. any visual representation of a cross section{ 1 }, showing the internal structure of the object in the plane of the cross section; as, the technician prepared a series of MRI cross sections of the skull. Different cross sections created by different techniques may show different aspects of internal structure. Thus computerized axial tomography using X-rays shows different structures than are visualized by MRI. [ PJC ]

3. a thin slice of an object made by cutting it transversely; as, to view a cross section of a bacterium with an electron microscope after staining the DNA; cross sections were prepared with a microtome. [ PJC ]

4. a representative sample of a complex group; as, the town contained a cross section of the American population. [ PJC ]

5. (Physics) a measure of the probability that a nucleus will interact in a specified way with a bombarding particle, expressed as the effective area that the nucleus presents to the particle; -- called also nuclear cross section. [ PJC ]

v. t. to create one or a series of cross sections{ 3 } by cutting (an object) into thin slices. [ PJC ]

adj. of or pertaining to a cross section; as, a cross-sectional slice. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. contraction of caesarean section.
Syn. -- cesarean section, cesarian section, cesarean, cesarian, caesarean. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. dissection. ] 1. The act of dissecting an animal or plant; as, dissection of the human body was held sacrilege till the time of Francis I. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: The act of separating or dividing for the purpose of critical examination. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything dissected; especially, some part, or the whole, of an animal or plant dissected so as to exhibit the structure; an anatomical so prepared. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dissection wound, a poisoned wound incurred during the dissection of a dead body. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Anat.) A division along the mesial plane; also, one of the parts so divided. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Insect. ] A cutting in; incisure; incision. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. intersectio: cf. F. intersection. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act, state, or place of intersecting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geom.) The point or line in which one line or surface cuts another. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or formed by, intersections. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Quadri- + section. ] A subdivision into four parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. resectio: cf. F. résection. ] 1. The act of cutting or paring off. Cotgrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Surg.) The removal of the articular extremity of a bone, or of the ends of the bones in a false articulation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. sectio, fr. secare, sectum, to cut; akin to E. saw a cutting instrument: cf. F. section. See Saw, and cf. Scion, Dissect, Insect, Secant, Segment. ] 1. The act of cutting, or separation by cutting; as, the section of bodies. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A part separated from something; a division; a portion; a slice. Specifically: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

(a) A distinct part or portion of a book or writing; a subdivision of a chapter; the division of a law or other writing; a paragraph; an article; hence, the character §, often used to denote such a division. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is hardly possible to give a distinct view of his several arguments in distinct sections. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) A distinct part of a country or people, community, class, or the like; a part of a territory separated by geographical lines, or of a people considered as distinct. [ 1913 Webster ]

The extreme section of one class consists of bigoted dotards, the extreme section of the other consists of shallow and reckless empirics. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) One of the portions, of one square mile each, into which the public lands of the United States are divided; one thirty-sixth part of a township. These sections are subdivided into quarter sections for sale under the homestead and preemption laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Geom.) The figure made up of all the points common to a superficies and a solid which meet, or to two superficies which meet, or to two lines which meet. In the first case the section is a superficies, in the second a line, and in the third a point. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Nat. Hist.) A division of a genus; a group of species separated by some distinction from others of the same genus; -- often indicated by the sign §. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Mus.) A part of a musical period, composed of one or more phrases. See Phrase. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The description or representation of anything as it would appear if cut through by any intersecting plane; depiction of what is beyond a plane passing through, or supposed to pass through, an object, as a building, a machine, a succession of strata; profile. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In mechanical drawing, as in these Illustrations of a cannon, a longitudinal section (a) usually represents the object as cut through its center lengthwise and vertically; a cross or transverse section (b), as cut crosswise and vertically; and a horizontal section (c), as cut through its center horizontally. Oblique sections are made at various angles. In architecture, a vertical section is a drawing showing the interior, the thickness of the walls, etc., as if made on a vertical plane passed through a building. [ 1913 Webster ]

Angular sections (Math.), a branch of analysis which treats of the relations of sines, tangents, etc., of arcs to the sines, tangents, etc., of their multiples or of their parts. [ R. ] --
Conic sections. (Geom.) See under Conic. --
Section liner (Drawing), an instrument to aid in drawing a series of equidistant parallel lines, -- used in representing sections. --
Thin section, a section or slice, as of mineral, animal, or vegetable substance, thin enough to be transparent, and used for study under the microscope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Part; portion; division. -- Section, Part. The English more commonly apply the word section to a part or portion of a body of men; as, a section of the clergy, a small section of the Whigs, etc. In the United States this use is less common, but another use, unknown or but little known in England, is very frequent, as in the phrases “the eastern section of our country, ” etc., the same sense being also given to the adjective sectional; as, sectional feelings, interests, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to a section or distinct part of larger body or territory; local. [ 1913 Webster ]

All sectional interests, or party feelings, it is hoped, will hereafter yield to schemes of ambition. Story. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Consisting of sections, or capable of being divided into sections; as, a sectional steam boiler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A disproportionate regard for the interests peculiar to a section of the country; local patriotism, as distinguished from national. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being sectional; sectionalism. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To divide according to geographical sections or local interests. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The principal results of the struggle were to sectionalize parties. Nicolay & Hay (Life of Lincoln). [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a sectional manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To form into sections. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. sentire to feel + E. section. ] Painful vivisection; -- opposed to callisection. B. G. Wilder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. trisection. ] The division of a thing into three parts, Specifically: (Geom.) the division of an angle into three equal parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. venaesectio; L. vena vein + sectio section. ] (Med.) The act or operation of opening a vein for letting blood; bloodletting; phlebotomy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. vivus alive + E. section: cf. F. vivisection. See Vivid, and Section. ] The dissection of an animal while alive, for the purpose of making physiological investigations. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to vivisection. [ 1913 Webster ]