compartment
kuhm-PART-muhnt
/kəmˈpɑːt.mənt/
A separate section or enclosed space within a bag, vehicle, or structure.
Implies organization and division within a larger structure.
The story behind the word. Derived from Late Latin 'compartiri', meaning 'to share or divide into parts'. It entered English through French 'compartiment' to describe partitioned spaces.
Word relationships
- section: Section is broader and less structured than a compartment.
- pocket: Pocket usually refers to smaller outer or inner cloth pouches.
Commonly confused with
- department: Department refers to an organizational division in a business or government, not a physical storage section.
Word family
- compartmentalize (verb): To divide into separate sections or categories.
Collocations
- overhead compartment
- secret compartment
- padded compartment
- zippered compartment
Example sentences
- "Please store your smaller bag under the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment." In-Flight Safety
- "This travel backpack features a padded compartment designed specifically for laptops." Bag Features
- "We shared an eight-bed sleeping compartment on the night train to Vienna." Train Travel
Memory hook
A PART of a container that COMPART-mentalizes your gear. Divided part inside a container.
When not to use
Do not use for an entire room unless referring to train or plane passenger sections (e.g., 'train compartment').
Fun facts
- Early train compartments in 19th-century Europe were modeled directly on stagecoach interiors.
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