Category:Partial

Par"tial, a. Etym: [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.)

Defn: 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.