Noun

(en noun)

A temporary group or union of organizations, usually formed for a particular advantage.

The Liberal Democrats and Conservative parties formed a coalition government in 2010.

* 2013 May 23, , " British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party," New York Times (retrieved 29 May 2013):

At a time when Mr. Cameron is being squeezed from both sides — from the right by members of his own party and by the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe U.K. Independence Party, and from the left by his Liberal Democrat coalition partners — the move seemed uncharacteristically clunky.

Noun

(en noun)

A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.

*

With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get

A ratio of two numbers, the numerator and the denominator, usually written one above the other and separated by a horizontal bar.

(chemistry) A component of a mixture, separated by fractionation.

In a eucharistic service, the breaking of the .

A small amount.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=January 29, author=Chris Bevan, work=BBC

, title= Torquay 0-1 Crawley Town , passage=After kick-off was delayed because of crowd congestion, Torquay went closest to scoring in a cagey opening 30 minutes, when Danny Stevens saw a fierce shot from the edge of the area swerve a fraction wide.}}

The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence.

* Foxe

Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any fraction or breaking up.