Partisan
(Par"ti*san), n. [F. pertuisane, prob. fr. It. partigiana, influenced in French by OF. pertuisier
to pierce. It was prob. so named as the weapon of some partisans, or party men. Cf. Partisan one of
a corps of light troops.] A kind of halberd or pike; also, a truncheon; a staff.
And make him with our pikes and partisans a grave.
Shak. Partisanship
(Par"ti*san*ship), n. The state of being a partisan, or adherent to a party; feelings or conduct
appropriate to a partisan.
Partita
(||Par*ti"ta) n. [It.] (Mus.) A suite; a set of variations.
Partite
(Par"tite) a. [L. partitus, p. p. of partire to part, divide, from pars. See Part, and cf. Party,
a.] (Bot.) Divided nearly to the base; as, a partite leaf is a simple separated down nearly to the base.
Partition
(Par*ti"tion) n. [F. partition, L. partitio. See Part, v.]
1. The act of parting or dividing; the state of being parted; separation; division; distribution; as, the partition
of a kingdom.
And good from bad find no partition.
Shak. 2. That which divides or separates; that by which different things, or distinct parts of the same thing,
are separated; separating boundary; dividing line or space; specifically, an interior wall dividing one part
or apartment of a house, an inclosure, or the like, from another; as, a brick partition; lath and plaster
partitions.
No sight could pass
Betwixt the nice partitions of the grass.
Dryden. 3. A part divided off by walls; an apartment; a compartment. [R.] "Lodged in a small partition." Milton.
4. (Law.) The servance of common or undivided interests, particularly in real estate. It may be effected
by consent of parties, or by compulsion of law.
5. (Mus.) A score.
Partition of numbers (Math.), the resolution of integers into parts subject to given conditions. Brande
& C.
