Par"tial (?), a. [F., fr. LL. partials, fr. L.
pars, gen. partis, a
part; cf. (for sense 1) F. partiel. See Part, n.]
1. Of, pertaining to, or affecting, a part only; not general or universal; not total or
entire; as, a partial eclipse of the moon. "Partial dissolutions of the earth." T. Burnet.
2. Inclined to favor one
party in a cause, or one
side of a question, more then the other; baised; not indifferent; as, a judge should not be
partial.
Ye have been
partial in the law.
Mal. ii. 9. 3. Having a predelection for; inclined to favor unreasonably; foolishly fond. "A partial parent." Pope.
Not partial to an ostentatious display.
Sir W. Scott. 4. (Bot.) Pertaining to a subordinate portion; as, a
compound umbel is made up of a several
partial umbels; a leaflet is often supported by a partial petiole.
Partial differentials, Partial differential
coefficients, Partial differentiation, etc. (of a function
of two or more variables), the differentials,
differential coefficients, differentiation etc., of
the function, upon the hypothesis that some of the
variables are for the time constant. -- Partial fractions (Alg.), fractions whose sum equals a given fraction. -- Partial tones (Music), the simple tones which in combination form an ordinary tone; the overtones, or harmonics, which, blending with a fundamental tone, cause its special quality of sound, or timbre, or tone color. See, also, Tone.
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