fractionary (frakshonari)

[F. fraction naire = Sp. Pg. fraccionario; as fraction + -ary.] 1. Fractional.-2. Of a fractional nature; constituting a small part; hence, subordinate; unimportant. Our sun describing the sweep of such an orbit in space, and completing the mighty revolution in such a period of time as to reduce our planetary seasons and our planetary movements to a very humble and fractionary rank in the scale of a higher astronomy. Chalmers . De Quincey, E enes, i. Those who were contemporary to these great agencies [by which Christianity moved] saw only in part; the frac tionary mode of their perceptions intercepted this compulsion from them. Fractionary function. Same as meromorphic function (which see, under meromorphic ). fractionate (frak's hon-at), v . t .; pret. and pp. fractionated , ppr. fractionating . [ fraction + -ate2.] To subject to or obtain by the proce of fractionation. The liquid in the receiver was fractionated into portions. Amer. Chem. Jour., VIII. 6. These heavy oils were obtained by pa ing the gas over carefully fractionated pure light coal oils. W. R. Bowditch , Coal Gas, p. 5.