Part, pärt, n. something less than the whole: a portion: a quantity or number making up with others a larger quantity or number: a fraction: a member or essential part of a whole: a proportional quantity: one's share: interest: side or party: action: character taken by an actor in a play: (math.) a quantity which taken a certain number of times will equal a larger quantity: an exact divisor: (mus.) one of the melodies of a harmony: (pl.) qualities: talents.—v.t. to divide: to make into parts: to put or keep asunder.—v.i. to be separated: to be torn asunder: to have a part or share.—adj. Part′ed (Shak.), endowed with parts or abilities: (bot.) deeply cleft, as a leaf.—n. Part′er.—adv. Part′ly, in part: in some degree.—Part of speech (gram.), one of the various classes of words.—For my part, as far as concerns me; For the most part, commonly; In bad, or ill, part, unfavourably; In good part, favourably; Take part in, to share or to assist in; Take part with, to take one's side. [Fr.,—L. pars, partis.]
Partake, pär-tāk′, v.i. to take or have a part, either absolutely, or with of or in before the thing shared, as food, &c.: to have something of the nature or properties, &c.: to be admitted: (Shak.) to make common cause.—v.t. to have a part in: to share: (Shak.) to communicate:—pr.p. partā′king; pa.t. partook′; pa.p. partā′ken.—ns. Partā′ker, one who shares in along with others: a partner: an accomplice; Partā′king, a sharing: (law) a combination in an evil design. [Part and take.]
Partan, par′tan, n. (Scot.) a small edible sea-crab. [Gael.]
Parterre, par-ter′, n. an arrangement of flower-plots with spaces of turf or gravel between for walks: the pit of a theatre, esp. beneath the galleries. [Fr.,—L. per terram, along the ground.]
Parthenogenesis, pär-the-nō-jen′e-sis, n. reproduction without renewed impregnation by a male, as in aphids or plant-lice, &c.—also Parthenog′eny.—adjs. Parthenogenet′ic, Parthenog′enous. [Gr. parthenos, a virgin, genesis, production.]
Parthenon, pär′the-non, n. the temple of Athēnē Parthĕnos, on the Acropolis at Athens. [Gr. Parthenōn—parthenos, a virgin.]
Parthian, par′thi-an, adj. of or belonging to Parthia, in Persia.—A Parthian shot, a shot or blow given while pretending to fly, a parting shot.
Partial, pär′shal, adj. relating to a part only: not total or entire: inclined to favour one person or party: having a preference: (bot.) subordinate.—v.t. Par′tialise (Shak.), to render partial.—ns. Par′tialism, the doctrine of the Partialists; Par′tialist, one who holds that the atonement of Christ was made only for a part of mankind; Partial′ity, state or quality of being partial: liking for one thing more than for others.—adv. Par′tially.[Fr.,—Low L. partialis—L. pars, a part.]
Partible, pär′ti-bl, adj. that may be parted: separable.—n. Partibil′ity.
Partibus, par′ti-bus, n. in Scots law, a note on the margin of a summons, giving name and designation of the pursuer.—In partibus infidelium, a phrase applying formerly to bishops who were merely titular, without regular jurisdiction, their function to assist some other bishop or to act as delegates of the Pope where no hierarchy had as yet been established.