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A subdivision of Carnivora having plantigrade feet. It includes the bears, raccoons, and allied species.

To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision; -- the opposite of deploy. Wilhelm.

The act or movement of forming a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision; -- the opposite of deployment.

A subdivision of the Chemung period in American geology. See Chart of Geology.

A subdivision of the Primordial or Cambrian period in American geology; -- so named from the sandstone of Potsdam, New York. See Chart of Geology.

A subdivision of the tænioglossate gastropods, including the fig-shells (Pyrula), the helmet shells (Cassis), the tritons, and allied genera.

A subdivision into four parts.

etween two shafts which are at right angles with each other. -- Quarter watch (Naut.), a subdivision of the full watch (one fourth of the crew) on a man-of- war. -- To give, or show, quarter (Mil.), to accept as prisoner, on submission in battle; to forbear to kill, as a vanquished enemy. -- To keep quarter. See Qua…

To divide into branches or subdivisions; as, to ramify an art, subject, scheme.

as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays; as, an act of four scenes. My dismal scene I needs must act alone. Shak.

The formation belonging to the middle of the three subdivisions of the Corniferous period in the American Devonian system; -- so called from Schoharie, in New York, where it occurs. See the Chart of Geology.

Hence, characterized by excessive subtilty, or needlessly minute subdivisions; pedantic; formal.

he sixtieth part of a minute of time or of a minute of space, that is, the second regular subdivision of the degree; as, sound moves about 1,140 English feet in a second; five minutes and ten seconds north of this place.

A distinct part or portion of a book or writing; a subdivision of a chapter; the division of a law or other writing; a paragraph; an article; hence, the character §, often used to denote such a division. It is hardly possible to give a distinct view of his several arguments in distinct sections. Locke.…

Without subdivisions; entire; as, a simple stem; a simple leaf.

develops from an egg, but in its turn produces other larvæ by internal budding, or by the subdivision of a part or all of its contents into a number of minute germs. See Redia.

ed off by a double bar; a complete musical period or sentence; a movement, or any rounded subdivision of a movement. Their heavenly harps a lower strain began. Dryden.

A subordinate, or inferior, division into parts; a subdivision. [R.] Many subdichatomies of petty schisms. Milton.

Susceptible of subdivision.

One of the subdivisions, of more importance than genus, into which certain families are divided.