fraction

Etymology

From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraction, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus (English fracture), past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break).

noun

1. A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
2. (arithmetic) A ratio of two numbers (numerator and denominator), usually written one above the other and separated by a horizontal bar called the vinculum or, alternatively, in sequence on the same line and separated by a solidus (diagonal bar).
3. (chemistry) A component of a mixture, separated by fractionation.
4. (Christianity) In a eucharistic service, the breaking of the host.
5. A small amount.
   After kick-off was delayed because of crowd congestion, Torquay went closest to scoring in a cagey opening 30 minutes, when Danny Stevens saw a fierce shot from the edge of the area swerve a fraction wide. January 29, 2011, Chris Bevan, “Torquay 0-1 Crawley Town”, in BBC
6. (archaic) The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence.

verb

1. To divide or break into fractions.