Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Section has 17 different meanings across 2 categories:
a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
"he always turns first to the business section"
"the history of this work is discussed in the next section"
a very thin slice (of tissue or mineral or other substance) for examination under a microscope
"sections from the left ventricle showed diseased tissue"
a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people
"no section of the nation is more ardent than the South"
"there are three synagogues in the Jewish section"
a small team of policemen working as part of a police platoon
"The new detective was assigned to the homicide section, where he worked closely with his fellow officers on every case."
a land unit equal to 1 square mile
"The surveyor marked off the western section of the township for new farming families."
(geometry) the area created by a plane cutting through a solid
"When she sliced the sphere in half, the resulting circular shape was known as its cross-section."
a small class of students who are part of a larger course but are taught separately
"a graduate student taught sections for the professor's lecture course"
a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class
"The conductor raised his baton to signal the string section to begin their solo passage."
a small army unit usually having a special function
"After the artillery section fell back, they had to cover the retreat without any heavy support."
a specialized division of a large organization
"you'll find it in the hardware department"
"she got a job in the historical section of the Treasury"
the cutting of or into body tissues or organs (especially by a surgeon as part of an operation)
"The surgeon made a small section in the patient's abdomen to remove the appendix."
A cutting; a part cut out from the rest of something.
"The surgeon carefully removed a small section of the tumor before closing the incision."
In plain English: A section is a distinct part of something that has been divided into smaller pieces.
"I sat in the front section of the theater to get a good view."
To cut, divide or separate into pieces.
"He used a sharp knife to section the watermelon so everyone could have an equal piece at the picnic."
In plain English: To section something means to cut it into separate parts.
"The teacher decided to section off the noisy students into separate groups for better focus."
Usage: Use this verb when physically cutting something like food or paper into distinct parts rather than using synonyms that imply breaking apart without separation. It is often interchangeable with slice in casual contexts but specifically emphasizes creating defined sections from a whole object.
The word "section" comes from Old French and Latin, originally meaning a physical act of cutting or removing part of something. It entered English with this literal sense of separation through the process of being cut.