Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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}.