part

The word “part” means a piece or portion of something larger. In plain terms, a piece of something whole, a role you play, or (as a verb) to separate.

“Part” is pronounced paht (/pɑɹt/ in IPA).

Here is “part” used in a sentence: “Only part of the cake was left by the time we arrived.”

Depending on how it is used, “part” can be a noun, a verb and an adverb.

The word “part” comes from Latin. From Old French part and Old English part, both ultimately from Latin pars, "piece, share, role.".

“Part” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Part” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a piece or portion of something larger.

A part is a single piece of something larger, while the whole is that complete thing made up of all its parts. A slice is part of a cake; the entire cake is the whole. Parts combine to form the whole, and removing one leaves the whole incomplete.

The words overlap, but a 'part' is any piece of a larger thing — a part of a machine or a story. A 'portion' usually means an amount allotted or served, especially of food or a share — 'a portion of chips,' 'her portion of the profits.' Portion stresses a measured or assigned amount.

A wheel is part of a car, a chapter is part of a book, and a petal is part of a flower. In each case, something smaller belongs to a larger whole. The word also covers non-physical things — a part of a plan, a part of your life, or a role in a play.