segment

Everyday

1. A segment is one of the parts something is divided into, like a segment of an orange. tree →
2. In maths, a line segment is the part of a line between two end points. tree →
3. A segment of a circle is the part cut off by a straight line (a chord). tree →
4. A segment of a TV or radio show is one part of it. tree →
5. (verb) To segment means to divide into parts; in phonics, to segment a word means to split it into its sounds: c-a-t. tree →

In the lessons

In maths, line segments have length that you can measure; triangles have three line segments as sides. In science, insects and worms have bodies made of segments. In reading, pupils segment words into sounds to spell them. Phrases: line segment, segment of an orange, body segment, a short segment.

Examples

• I ate an orange segment by segment. tree →
• Draw a line segment 6 centimetres long. tree →
• The orange had 10 segments, so 5 children got 2 each. tree →
• A worm's body is made of many segments. tree →
• A triangle has three line segments for sides. tree →
• Segment the word "ship" into sounds: sh-i-p. tree →
• The news had a short segment on the school fair. tree →

Note

Countable. Noun stressed on the first part (SEG-ment), verb often on the second. In maths, a line goes on for ever both ways, a ray has one end, and a line segment has two ends. A circle segment is not the same as a sector (a "pizza slice" from the centre).