Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Partial?

\Par"tial\, a. [F., fr. LL. partials, fr. L. pars, gen. partis, a part; cf. (for sense 1) F. partiel. See {Part}, n.] 1. Of, pertaining to, or affecting, a part only; not general or universal; not total or entire; as, a partial eclipse of the moon. ``Partial dissolutions of the earth.'' --T. Burnet. 2. Inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more then the other; baised; not indifferent; as, a judge should not be partial. Ye have been partial in the law. --Mal. ii. 9. 3. Having a predelection for; inclined to favor unreasonably; foolishly fond. ``A partial parent.'' --Pope. Not partial to an ostentatious display. --Sir W. Scott. 4. (Bot.) Pertaining to a subordinate portion; as, a compound umbel is made up of a several partial umbels; a leaflet is often supported by a partial petiole. {Partial differentials}, {Partial differential coefficients}, {Partial differentiation}, etc. (of a function of two or more variables), the differentials, differential coefficients, differentiation etc., of the function, upon the hypothesis that some of the variables are for the time constant. {Partial fractions} (Alg.), fractions whose sum equals a given fraction. {Partial tones} (Music), the simple tones which in combination form an ordinary tone; the overtones, or harmonics, which, blending with a fundamental tone, cause its special quality of sound, or timbre, or tone color. See, also, {Tone}.