partition

noun

• 1 [mass noun] (especially with reference to a country with separate areas of government) the action or state of dividing or being divided into parts:the country’s partition into separate states
• Chemistry the distribution of a solute between two immiscible or slightly miscible solvents in contact with one another, in accordance with its differing solubility in each: [as modifier]:partition chromatography

• 2a structure dividing a space into two parts, especially a light interior wall: the cafe was divided up by glass partitions
• Computing each of a number of portions into which some operating systems divide memory or storage: this takes a copy of hard disk partition information during installation

verb

• divide into parts:an agreement was reached to partition the country
• divide (a room) into smaller rooms or areas by erecting partitions:the hall was partitioned to contain the noise of the computers partition off part of a large bedroom to create a small bathroom