Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Compartment \Com*part"ment\, n. [F. compartiment, OF. compartir
   to divide. See {Compart}.]
   1. One of the parts into which an inclosed portion of space
      is divided, as by partitions, or lines; as, the
      compartments of a cabinet, a house, or a garden.

            In the midst was placed a large compartment composed
            of grotesque work.                    --Carew.

   2. (Shipbuilding) One of the sections into which the hold of
      a ship is divided by water-tight bulkheads.

Source : WordNet®

compartment
     n 1: a small space or subdivision for storage
     2: a partitioned section or separate room within a larger
        enclosed area