Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Fraction \Frac"tion\, n. [F. fraction, L. fractio a breaking,
   fr. frangere, fractum, to break. See {Break}.]
   1. The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially
      by violence. [Obs.]

            Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to
            any fraction or breaking up.          --Foxe.

   2. A portion; a fragment.

            Some niggard fractions of an hour.    --Tennyson.

   3. (Arith. or Alg.) One or more aliquot parts of a unit or
      whole number; an expression for a definite portion of a
      unit or magnitude.

   {Common, or Vulgar}, {fraction}, a fraction in which the
      number of equal parts into which the integer is supposed
      to be divided is indicated by figures or letters, called
      the denominator, written below a line, over which is the
      numerator, indicating the number of these parts included
      in the fraction; as 1/2, one half, 2/5, two fifths.

   {Complex fraction}, a fraction having a fraction or mixed
      number in the numerator or denominator, or in both.
      --Davies & Peck.

   {Compound fraction}, a fraction of a fraction; two or more
      fractions connected by of.

   {Continued fraction}, {Decimal fraction}, {Partial fraction},
      etc. See under {Continued}, {Decimal}, {Partial}, etc.

   {Improper fraction}, a fraction in which the numerator is
      greater than the denominator.

   {Proper fraction}, a fraction in which the numerator is less
      than the denominator.

Compound \Com"pound\, a. [OE. compouned, p. p. of compounen. See
   {Compound}, v. t.]
   Composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts;
   produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or
   things; composite; as, a compound word.

         Compound substances are made up of two or more simple
         substances.                              --I. Watts.

   {Compound addition}, {subtraction}, {multiplication},
   {division} (Arith.), the addition, subtraction, etc., of
      compound numbers.

   {Compound crystal} (Crystallog.), a twin crystal, or one
      seeming to be made up of two or more crystals combined
      according to regular laws of composition.

   {Compound engine} (Mech.), a form of steam engine in which
      the steam that has been used in a high-pressure cylinder
      is made to do further service in a larger low-pressure
      cylinder, sometimes in several larger cylinders,
      successively.

   {Compound ether}. (Chem.) See under {Ether}.

   {Compound flower} (Bot.), a flower head resembling a single
      flower, but really composed of several florets inclosed in
      a common calyxlike involucre, as the sunflower or
      dandelion.

   {Compound fraction}. (Math.) See {Fraction}.

   {Compound fracture}. See {Fracture}.

   {Compound householder}, a householder who compounds or
      arranges with his landlord that his rates shall be
      included in his rents. [Eng.]

   {Compound interest}. See {Interest}.

   {Compound larceny}. (Law) See {Larceny}.

   {Compound leaf} (Bot.), a leaf having two or more separate
      blades or leaflets on a common leafstalk.

   {Compound microscope}. See {Microscope}.

   {Compound motion}. See {Motion}.

   {Compound number} (Math.), one constructed according to a
      varying scale of denomination; as, 3 cwt., 1 qr., 5 lb.;
      -- called also {denominate number}.

   {Compound pier} (Arch.), a clustered column.

   {Compound quantity} (Alg.), a quantity composed of two or
      more simple quantities or terms, connected by the sign +
      (plus) or - (minus). Thus, a + b - c, and bb - b, are
      compound quantities.

   {Compound radical}. (Chem.) See {Radical}.

   {Compound ratio} (Math.), the product of two or more ratios;
      thus ab:cd is a ratio compounded of the simple ratios a:c
      and b:d.

   {Compound rest} (Mech.), the tool carriage of an engine
      lathe.

   {Compound screw} (Mech.), a screw having on the same axis two
      or more screws with different pitch (a differential
      screw), or running in different directions (a right and
      left screw).

   {Compound time} (Mus.), that in which two or more simple
      measures are combined in one; as, 6-8 time is the joining
      of two measures of 3-8 time.

   {Compound word}, a word composed of two or more words;
      specifically, two or more words joined together by a
      hyphen.

Source : WordNet®

compound fraction
     n : a fraction with fractions in the numerator or denominator
         [syn: {complex fraction}]