n. [ F. département, fr. départir. See Depart, v. i. ] 1. Act of departing; departure. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Sudden departments from one extreme to another. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. A part, portion, or subdivision. [ 1913 Webster ]
3. A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like; appointed sphere or walk; province. [ 1913 Webster ]
Superior to Pope in Pope's own peculiar department of literature. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]
4. Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instruction; as, the medical department; the department of physics. [ 1913 Webster ]
5. A territorial division; a district; esp., in France, one of the districts composed of several arrondissements into which the country is divided for governmental purposes; as, the Department of the Loire. [ 1913 Webster ]
6. A military subdivision of a country; as, the Department of the Potomac. [ 1913 Webster ]