sector

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Mathematics The portion of a circle bounded by two radii and the included arc.
2. n. Mathematics A measuring instrument consisting of two graduated arms hinged together at one end.
3. n. A division of a defensive position for which one military unit is responsible.
4. n. A division of an offensive military position.
5. n. A part or division, as of a city or a national economy: the manufacturing sector; the private sector.
6. n. Computer Science A portion of a magnetic storage device making up the smallest addressable unit of information.
7. v. To divide (something) into sectors.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In geometry:
2. n. A plane figure inclosed between the arc of a circle, ellipse, or other central curve and two radii to its extremities from the center. Thus, in the figure, CDB is a sector of a circle.
3. n. A solid generated by the revolution of a plane sector about one of its radii.
4. n. A mathematical rule consisting of two flat pieces connected by a stiff rule-joint so that the broad sides move in their own planes, and bearing various scales, especially double scales which are scales of trigonometric functions, etc., duplicated on the two pieces and radiating from the center of the joint. The joint is opened until the distance between two certain corresponding points is equal to the indicated trigonometric line for a given radius, when the distances between all the corresponding points on all the double scales are equal to the respective trigonometric lines for the same radius.
5. n. An astronomical instrument consisting of a telescope turning about the center of a graduated arc. It was formerly used for measuring differences of declination. See zenith-sector.
6. n. In mech., a toothed gear of which the face is an arc of a circle, intended for reciprocating action. See cut under operating-table.
7. n. In entomology, one of the veins of the wing of some insects, as the ephemerids; a branch of the cubitus.
8. n. A cutting implement or device.

Wiktionary

1. n. section
2. n. zone (designated area)
3. n. geometry A part of a circle, extending to the center.
4. n. computing a fixed-sized unit (traditionally 512 bytes) of sequential data stored on a track of a digital medium (compare to block)
5. n. military An area designated by boundaries within which a unit operates, and for which it is responsible.
6. n. military One of the subdivisions of a coastal frontier.
7. n. science fiction a fictional region of space designated for navigational or governance purposes; for instance, W:Sector (Star Trek), W:List of Star Wars sectors

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Geom.) A part of a circle comprehended between two radii and the included arc.
2. n. A mathematical instrument, consisting of two rulers connected at one end by a joint, each arm marked with several scales, as of equal parts, chords, sines, tangents, etc., one scale of each kind on each arm, and all on lines radiating from the common center of motion. The sector is used for plotting, etc., to any scale.
3. n. An astronomical instrument, the limb of which embraces a small portion only of a circle, used for measuring differences of declination too great for the compass of a micrometer. When it is used for measuring zenith distances of stars, it is called a zenith sector.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a particular aspect of life or activity
2. n. measuring instrument consisting of two graduated arms hinged at one end
3. n. a plane figure bounded by two radii and the included arc of a circle
4. n. the minimum track length that can be assigned to store information; unless otherwise specified a sector of data consists of 512 bytes
5. n. a portion of a military position
6. n. a social group that forms part of the society or the economy