| Fracas | n. [ F., crash, din, tumult, It. fracasso, fr. fracassare to break in pieces, perh. fr. fra within, among (L. infra) + cassare to annul, cashier. Cf. Cashier, v. t. ] An uproar; a noisy quarrel; a disturbance; a brawl. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Fraction | n. [ F. fraction, L. fractio a breaking, fr. frangere, fractum, to break. See Break. ] 1. The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any fraction or breaking up. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A portion; a fragment. [ 1913 Webster ] Some niggard fractions of an hour. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Arith. or Alg.) One or more aliquot parts of a unit or whole number; an expression for a definite portion of a unit or magnitude. [ 1913 Webster ] Common fraction, or Vulgar fraction, a fraction in which the number of equal parts into which the integer is supposed to be divided is indicated by figures or letters, called the denominator, written below a line, over which is the numerator, indicating the number of these parts included in the fraction; as 1/2, one half, 2/5, two fifths. -- Complex fraction, a fraction having a fraction or mixed number in the numerator or denominator, or in both. Davies & Peck. -- Compound fraction, a fraction of a fraction; two or more fractions connected by of. -- Continued fraction, Decimal fraction, Partial fraction, etc. See under Continued, Decimal, Partial, etc. -- Improper fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is greater than the denominator. -- Proper fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator. [ 1913 Webster ]
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