4 ADV [ADV n, ADV adj] If you say that something is part one thing, part another, you mean that it is to some extent the first thing and to some extent the second thing. □ The television producer today has to be part news person, part educator.
5 N‑COUNT You can use part when you are talking about the proportions of substances in a mixture. For example, if you are told to use five parts water to one part paint, the mixture should contain five times as much water as paint. □ Use turpentine and linseed oil, three parts to two.
6 N‑COUNT A part in a play or film is one of the roles in it which an actor or actress can perform. □ [+ in ] Alf Sjoberg offered her a large part in the play he was directing. □ He was just right for the part.
7 N‑SING Your part in something that happens is your involvement in it. □ [+ in ] If only he could conceal his part in the accident.
8 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If something or someone is part of a group or organization, they belong to it or are included in it. □ [+ of ] I was a part of the team and wanted to remain a part of the team.
9 N‑COUNT The part in someone's hair is the line running from the front to the back of their head where their hair lies in different directions. [AM ] in BRIT, use parting 10 → see also private parts
11 PHRASE If something or someone plays a large or important part in an event or situation, they are very involved in it and have an important effect on what happens. □ [+ in ] These days work plays an important part in a single woman's life.
12 PHRASE If you take part in an activity, you do it together with other people. □ [+ in ] Thousands of students have taken part in demonstrations.
13 PHRASE When you are describing people's thoughts or actions, you can say for her part or for my part , for example, to introduce what a particular person thinks or does. [FORMAL ] □ For my part, I feel elated and close to tears.
14 PHRASE If you talk about a feeling or action on someone's part , you are referring to something that they feel or do. □ There is no need for any further instructions on my part.
15 PHRASE For the most part means mostly or usually. □ Professors, for the most part, are firmly committed to teaching, not research.
16 PHRASE You use in part to indicate that something exists or happens to some extent but not completely. [FORMAL ] □ The levels of blood glucose depend in part on what you eat and when you eat.
17 PHRASE If you say that something happened for the best part or the better part of a period of time, you mean that it happened for most of that time. □ He had been in Israel for the best part of twenty-four hours.
18 part and parcel → see parcel
➋ part ◆◇◇ /pɑː r t/ (parts , parting , parted )
→ Please look at category 6 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If things that are next to each other part or if you part them, they move in opposite directions, so that there is a space between them. □ [V ] Her lips parted as if she were about to take a deep breath. □ [V n] He crossed to the window of the sitting-room and parted the curtains.
2 VERB If you part your hair in the middle or at one side, you make it lie in two different directions so that there is a straight line running from the front of your head to the back. □ [V n] Picking up a brush, Joanna parted her hair. □ [V -ed] His hair was slicked back and neatly parted.
3 VERB When two people part , or if one person parts from another, they leave each other. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] He gave me the envelope and we parted. □ [V + from ] He has confirmed he is parting from his Swedish-born wife Eva.
4 VERB If you are parted from someone you love, you are prevented from being with them. □ [be V -ed] I don't believe Lotte and I will ever be parted. □ [be V -ed + from ] A stay in hospital may be the first time a child is ever parted from its parents. [Also V n from n]
5 → see also parting
6 to part company → see company
▸ part with PHRASAL VERB If you part with something that is valuable or that you would prefer to keep, you give it or sell it to someone else. □ [V P n] Buyers might require further assurances before parting with their cash.
PREFIX part-
forms words that refer to something that is partly but not completely a particular thing. For example, part-baked bread is not completely baked.
par|take /pɑː r te I k/ (partakes , partaking , partook , partaken )
1 VERB If you partake of food or drink, you eat or drink some of it. [FORMAL ] □ [V + of ] They were happy to partake of our feast, but not to share our company.
2 VERB If you partake in an activity, you take part in it. [FORMAL ] □ [V + in ] You will probably be asked about whether you partake in very vigorous sports.
pa rt ex|cha nge also part-exchange N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] If you give an old item in part exchange for something you are buying, the seller accepts the old item as part of the payment, so you do not have to give them as much money. [BRIT ] □ The dealer said it could not take my old car in part-exchange.