[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

section \sec"tion\, n. l. sectio, fr. secare, sectum, to cut;
   akin to e. saw a cutting instrument: cf. f. section. see
   saw, and cf. scion, dissect, insect, secant,
   segment.
   1. the act of cutting, or separation by cutting; as, the
      section of bodies.
      1913 webster

   2. a part separated from something; a division; a portion; a
      slice. specifically: 
      1913 webster
      a a distinct part or portion of a book or writing; a
          subdivision of a chapter; the division of a law or
          other writing; a paragraph; an article; hence, the
          character sect, often used to denote such a
          division.
          1913 webster

                it is hardly possible to give a distinct view of
                his several arguments in distinct sections.
                                                  --locke.
          1913 webster
      b a distinct part of a country or people, community,
          class, or the like; a part of a territory separated by
          geographical lines, or of a people considered as
          distinct.
          1913 webster

                the extreme section of one class consists of
                bigoted dotards, the extreme section of the
                other consists of shallow and reckless empirics.
                                                  --macaulay.
          1913 webster
      c one of the portions, of one square mile each, into
          which the public lands of the united states are
          divided; one thirty-sixth part of a township. these
          sections are subdivided into quarter sections for sale
          under the homestead and preemption laws.
          1913 webster

   3. geom. the figure made up of all the points common to a
      superficies and a solid which meet, or to two superficies
      which meet, or to two lines which meet. in the first case
      the section is a superficies, in the second a line, and in
      the third a point.
      1913 webster

   4. nat. hist. a division of a genus; a group of species
      separated by some distinction from others of the same
      genus; -- often indicated by the sign sect.
      1913 webster

   5. mus. a part of a musical period, composed of one or more
      phrases. see phrase.
      1913 webster

   6. the description or representation of anything as it would
      appear if cut through by any intersecting plane; depiction
      of what is beyond a plane passing through, or supposed to
      pass through, an object, as a building, a machine, a
      succession of strata; profile.
      1913 webster

   note: in mechanical drawing, as in these illustrations of a
         cannon, a longitudinal section a usually represents
         the object as cut through its center lengthwise and
         vertically; a cross or transverse section b, as cut
         crosswise and vertically; and a horizontal section c,
         as cut through its center horizontally. oblique
         sections are made at various angles. in architecture, a
         vertical section is a drawing showing the interior, the
         thickness of the walls, etc., as if made on a vertical
         plane passed through a building.
         1913 webster

   angular sections math., a branch of analysis which treats
      of the relations of sines, tangents, etc., of arcs to the
      sines, tangents, etc., of their multiples or of their
      parts. r.

   conic sections. geom. see under conic.

   section liner drawing, an instrument to aid in drawing a
      series of equidistant parallel lines, -- used in
      representing sections.

   thin section, a section or slice, as of mineral, animal, or
      vegetable substance, thin enough to be transparent, and
      used for study under the microscope.
      1913 webster

   syn: part; portion; division.

   usage: section, part. the english more commonly apply the
          word section to a part or portion of a body of men;
          as, a section of the clergy, a small section of the
          whigs, etc. in the united states this use is less
          common, but another use, unknown or but little known
          in england, is very frequent, as in the phrases "the
          eastern section of our country," etc., the same sense
          being also given to the adjective sectional; as,
          sectional feelings, interests, etc.
          1913 webster
see also:
saw scion dissect insect secant segment 
phrase angular sections conic sections conic section liner 
thin section section part 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

mathematics \math`emat"ics\, n. f. math'ematiques, pl., l.
   mathematica, sing., gr. ? sc. ? science. see mathematic,
   and -ics.
   that science, or class of sciences, which treats of the exact
   relations existing between quantities or magnitudes, and of
   the methods by which, in accordance with these relations,
   quantities sought are deducible from other quantities known
   or supposed; the science of spatial and quantitative
   relations.
   1913 webster

   note: mathematics embraces three departments, namely: 1.
         arithmetic. 2. geometry, including trigonometry
         and conic sections. 3. analysis, in which letters
         are used, including algebra, analytical geometry,
         and calculus. each of these divisions is divided into
         pure or abstract, which considers magnitude or quantity
         abstractly, without relation to matter; and mixed or
         applied, which treats of magnitude as subsisting in
         material bodies, and is consequently interwoven with
         physical considerations.
         1913 webster
see also:
mathematic -ics arithmetic geometry trigonometry conic sections 
analysis algebra analytical geometry calculus 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

conic \con"ic\, conical \con"ical\, a. gr. ?: cf. f. conique.
   see cone.
   1. having the form of, or resembling, a geometrical cone;
      round and tapering to a point, or gradually lessening in
      circumference; as, a conic or conical figure; a conical
      vessel.
      1913 webster

   2. of or pertaining to a cone; as, conic sections.
      1913 webster

   conic section geom., a curved line formed by the
      intersection of the surface of a right cone and a plane.
      the conic sections are the parabola, ellipse, and
      hyperbola. the right lines and the circle which result
      from certain positions of the plane are sometimes, though
      not generally included.

   conic sections, that branch of geometry which treats of the
      parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola.

   conical pendulum. see pendulum.

   conical projection, a method of delineating the surface of
      a sphere upon a plane surface as if projected upon the
      surface of a cone; -- much used by makers of maps in
      europe.

   conical surface geom., a surface described by a right
      line moving along any curve and always passing through a
      fixed point that is not in the plane of that curve.
      1913 webster
see also:
cone conic section conic sections conical pendulum pendulum conical projection 
conical surface 

Conic Sections >> C Words
Conic Sections, definition of term: Conic Sections
conic+sections_pag1.html

Conic >> C Words
Conic, definition of term: Conic
conic_pag1.html

Conic Projectio >> C Words
Conic Projectio, definition of term: Conic Projectio
conic+projectio_pag1.html