Section Means Something Cut
A section is a distinct part of something. The Latin root means to cut, and it explains insect, dissect and sector.
A section is a part cut or separated from a whole. The Latin *secare*, to cut, produced an unusually productive family: *dissect*, *sector*, *intersect*, and *insect* — an animal named for the cuts between its body segments. A section of a report is a slice of it.
- A distinct part. *The finance section.*
- A cut surface. *A cross-section of the stem.*
- A part of a law. *Section 4 of the Act.*
- To divide. *Section the orange.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | section | The next section. |
| Plural | sections | Four sections. |
| Verb | section | Section the sample. |
| Adjective | sectional | Sectional interests. |
| Related | sector | The public sector. |
How it is used in a sentence
- See section three of the report.Document structure.
- A cross-section shows the layers.A cut through something.
- He was charged under section 18.Legal citation.
The cutting family
- Section — a part cut off
- Sector — a portion of a circle, or of an economy
- Dissect — cut apart for study
- Insect — an animal with a cut-in body
- Bisect — cut into two
From Latin *sectionem*, a cutting, from *secare*, to cut — the same root as *segment*, *sickle* and, through another path, *saw*.
Why is an insect called that?
Because its body appears cut into segments. The Greek equivalent, *entomon*, gives us entomology.
Section or sector?
A section is a part of anything. A sector is a portion of a circle, or a defined area of activity such as the public sector.