Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Partition \Par*ti"tion\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Partitioned}; p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Partitioning}.]
   1. To divide into parts or shares; to divide and distribute;
      as, to partition an estate among various heirs.

   2. To divide into distinct parts by lines, walls, etc.; as,
      to partition a house.

            Uniform without, though severally partitioned
            within.                               --Bacon.

Partition \Par*ti"tion\, n. [F. partition, L. partitio. See
   {Part}, v.]
   1. The act of parting or dividing; the state of being parted;
      separation; division; distribution; as, the partition of a
      kingdom.

            And good from bad find no partition.  --Shak.

   2. That which divides or separates; that by which different
      things, or distinct parts of the same thing, are
      separated; separating boundary; dividing line or space;
      specifically, an interior wall dividing one part or
      apartment of a house, an inclosure, or the like, from
      another; as, a brick partition; lath and plaster
      partitions.

            No sight could pass Betwixt the nice partitions of
            the grass.                            --Dryden.

   3. A part divided off by walls; an apartment; a compartment.
      [R.] ``Lodged in a small partition.'' --Milton.

   4. (Law.) The servance of common or undivided interests,
      particularly in real estate. It may be effected by consent
      of parties, or by compulsion of law.

   5. (Mus.) A score.

   {Partition of numbers} (Math.), the resolution of integers
      into parts subject to given conditions. --Brande & C.

Source : WordNet®

partition
     n 1: a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall
          divides one room from another) [syn: {divider}]
     2: the act of dividing or partitioning; separation by the
        creation of a boundary that divides or keeps apart [syn: {division},
         {partitioning}, {segmentation}, {sectionalization}, {sectionalisation}]
     3: (computer science) the part of a hard disk that is dedicated
        to a particular operating system or application and
        accessed as a single unit

partition
     v 1: divide into parts, pieces, or sections; "The Arab peninsula
          was partitioned by the British" [syn: {partition off}]
     2: separate or apportion into sections; "partition a room off"
        [syn: {zone}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

partition
     
        1.  A {logical} section of a {disk}.  Each partition
        normally has its own {file system}.  {Unix} tends to treat
        partitions as though they were separate physical entities.
     
        2.  A division of a set into subsets so that each
        of its elements is in exactly one subset.
     
        (1996-12-09)