Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Fraction
1.
The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence.
[Obs.]
Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any
fraction
or breaking up. Foxe.
2.
A portion; a fragment.
Some niggard
fractions
of an hour. Tennyson.
3.
(Arith. or Alg.)
One or more aliquot parts of a unit or whole number; an expression for a definite portion of a unit or magnitude.
Common fraction
, or Vulgar fraction
a fraction in which the number of equal parts into which the integer is supposed to be divided is indicated by figures or letters, called the denominator, written below a line, over which is the numerator, indicating the number of these parts included in the fraction; as ½, one half, 2⁄5, two fifths.
– Complex fraction
, a fraction having a fraction or mixed number in the numerator or denominator, or in both.
Davies & Peck.
– Compound fraction
, a fraction of a fraction; two or more fractions connected by of.
– Continued fraction
, Decimal fraction
, Partial fraction
, etc. Improper fraction
, a fraction in which the numerator is greater than the denominator.
– Proper fraction
, a fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator.
Frac′tion
,Verb.
T.
(Chem.)
To separate by means of, or to subject to, fractional distillation or crystallization; to fractionate; – frequently used with out;
as, to
. fraction
out a certain grade of oil from pretroleumWebster 1828 Edition
Fraction
FRAC'TION
,Noun.
1.
The act of breaking or state of being broken, especially by violence.2.
In arithmetic and algebra, a broken part of an integral or integer; any division of a whole number or unit, as 2/5, two fifths, 1/4, one fourth, which are called vulgar fractions. In these, the figure above the line is called the numerator, and the figure below the line the denominator. In decimal fractions, the denominator is a unit, or 1, with as many cyphers annexed, as the numerator has places. They are commonly expressed by writing the numerator only, with a point before it by which it is separated from the whole number; thus .5, which denotes five tenths, 5/10, or half the whole number; .25, that is 25/100, or a fourth part of the whole number.