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Origin and history of segment

segment(n.)

1560s, in geometry, "plane figure contained by a right angle and a part of a circumference of a circle," from Latin segmentum "a strip or piece cut off, a cutting, strips of colored cloth," from secare "to cut" (from PIE root *sek- "to cut"), with euphonious alteration of -c- to -g- before -m-.

Latin segmentum was used in Medieval Latin as a geometry term, translating Greek tmema. The meaning "segmental portion of anything circular" is from 1640s; the general sense of "a division, section, part cut off or marked as separate from others" is from 1762.

segment(v.)

1859 (implied in segmented), "divide or become divided into segments," in reference to cell division, from segment (n.). Transitive sense, "divide (something) into segments" is from 1872. Related: Segmenting.

also from 1859

Entries linking to segment

segmental(adj.)

1749, "of or pertaining to segments;" 1787, "having the form of a segment;" see segment (n.) + -al (1). Segmentary in the same sense is attested from 1831. Related: Segmentally.

segmentation(n.)

1650s, in Blount, "a cutting in small pieces," a sense now obsolete. In modern use, "act of dividing or state of being divided in segments," by 1851 in reference to cells, from segment (v.) + -ation.

*sek-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut." It might form all or part of: bisect; dissect; hacksaw; insect; intersect; resect; saw (n.1) "cutting tool;" Saxon; scythe; secant; secateurs; sect; section; sector; sedge; segment; skin; skinflint; skinny; transect.

It might also be the source of: Hittite shakk- "to know, pay attention to;" Latin secare "to cut," sectio "a cutting, cutting off, division;" Old Church Slavonic seko, sešti "to cut," sečivo "ax, hatchet," Russian seč' "to cut to pieces;" Lithuanian įsėkti "to engrave, carve;" Albanian šate "mattock;" Old Saxon segasna, Old English sigðe "scythe;" Old English secg "sword," seax "knife, short sword;" Old Irish doescim "I cut."

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    section
    late 14c., seccioun, in astronomy, "the intersection of two straight lines; a division of a scale;" from Old French section and directly from Latin sectionem (nominative sectio) "a cutting, cutting off, division," noun of action from past-participle stem of secare "to cut" (from
    flying
    Flying fish is from 1510s; flying buttress "segment of an arch projecting from a solid mass and serving to stabilize a wall...
    onion
    Onion-ring "circular segment of an onion" (especially battered and deep-fried) is attested by 1904....
    curve
    early 15c. (implied in curved), intransitive, "have or assume a curved form," from Latin curvus "crooked, curved, bent," and curvare "to bend," both from PIE root *sker- (2) "to turn, bend." Transitive sense of  "cause to take the shape of a curve, bend" is from 1660s....169
    separate
    early 15c., separaten, transitive, "remove, detach completely; divide (something), sever the connection or association of," from Latin separatus, past participle of separare "to pull apart," from se- "apart" (see secret (n.)) + parare "make ready, prepare" (from PIE root *pere- (
    whole
    Old English hal "entire, whole; unhurt, uninjured, safe; healthy, sound; genuine, straightforward," from Proto-Germanic *haila- "undamaged" (source also of Old Saxon hel, Old Norse heill, Old Frisian hal, Middle Dutch hiel, Dutch heel, Old High German, German heil "salvation, wel
    piece
    c. 1200, pece, "fixed amount, measure, portion;" c. 1300, "fragment of an object, bit of a whole, slice of meat; separate fragment, section, or part," from Old French piece "piece, bit portion; item; coin" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *pettia, probably from Gaulish *pettsi (compare
    length
    Old English lengðu "property of being long or extended in one direction; distance along a line," from Proto-Germanic *langitho, abstract noun from *langaz "long" (root of Old English lang; see long (adj.)) + *-itho, abstract noun suffix (see -th (2)). Cognate with Old Norse lengd
    quarter
    c. 1300, "one-fourth of anything; one of four equal parts or divisions into which anything is or may be divided;" often in reference to the four parts into which a slaughtered animal is cut, from Old French quartier, cartier (12c.), from Latin quartarius "fourth part," from quart

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