frac·tion
fraction
- pronunciation:
- fraek
sh
n
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
a part or very small part of a whole.
I found only a fraction of my lost money.- synonyms:
- bit, part, percentage, portion, proportion
- antonyms:
- whole
- similar words:
- crumb, division, few, fragment, mite, morsel, slice, trifle
|
| definition 2: |
a number written as one number divided by another (separated by a hyphen).
The fraction "two-fourths" (2/4) is the same as "two divided by four."- similar words:
- quotient, ratio
|
| related words: |
component, piece |
Fraction comes from a Latin word that means "a breaking into pieces." In the English spoken in the 1400s, a bone fracture was called a "fraction."