fractions
|frac-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˈfræk.ʃənz/
🇬🇧
/ˈfræk.ʃ(ə)nz/
(fraction)
part of a whole
Etymology
'fraction' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'fractio', where the root 'frangere' (and its past participle 'fractus') meant 'to break' or 'broken'.
'fraction' passed into English via Old French ('fraction') and Middle English (e.g. 'fracioun'), eventually becoming the modern English word 'fraction'.
Initially it meant 'a breaking' or 'the act of breaking', and over time it evolved to mean 'a part resulting from a breaking' — i.e. a part or portion of a whole (including mathematical and industrial senses).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a number expressed as a quotient of two integers, typically written as numerator/denominator (mathematical fraction).
She practiced adding fractions in math class.
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Noun 2
a small part or portion of a larger amount or group.
Only a fraction of the applicants were accepted.
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Noun 3
a very small amount or a very short time (used in expressions like 'a fraction of a second').
He paused for only a few fractions of a second before answering.
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Last updated: 2025/12/27 05:27