Dictionary

compartmentation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kəmˈpɑɹtmɛnˈteɪʃn̩/ (US)
• /kəmˈpɑːtmɛnˈteɪʃn̩/ (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin com- Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *pérh₃tis? Proto-Italic *partis Latin pars Proto-Indo-European *-yétider. Latin -iō Latin partiō Latin partior Latin compartīrībor. Italian compartire Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Italian -mento Italian compartimentobor. Middle French compartimentder. English compartment Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English compartmentation From compartment + -ation.

Meanings

1. Division into compartments; compartmentalization. ▸ So as to prevent the spread of fire within a structure.
   • The fire spread rapidly after the building's compartmentation failed.
   • The reason for this compartmentation is FLAMETIGHT INTEGRITY. The purpose should be obvious: Propellent powder in flammable silk bags is always dangerous; compartmentation confines flame and explosive gas to the space in which it originates. 1958, Gunner's Mate 3: Navy Training Courses, Bureau of Naval Personnel, page 191:
2. Division into compartments; compartmentalization. ▸ So as to prevent the spread of water (or rarely, another fluid) between otherwise watertight compartments (especially on a ship).
   • The Titanics compartmentation' did not stop water from entering rooms.
   • Compartmentation of the hull.—It has become the accepted practice in conventional rigid-airship construction to subdivide the buoyant gas into numerous independent containers[…] 1937, “Naval Expansion Program”, in Hearing Before the Committee on Naval Affairs, United States: Government Printing Office, page 238:
3. The dissemination of information and knowledge between different people or organisations on a need-to-know basis, so as to reduce the risk of espionage should one person or organisation be compromised externally; compartmentalization.
   • Nevertheless the principles of compartmentation of information and need to know are essential to secrecy. 1956, Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, volume 1, Washington: Joint Commission on Atomic Energy:

Forms

Deriveds

microcompartmentation