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Something is divided in four pieces. One piece is called a fourth or a quarter.

Something is divided in nine pieces. One is piece is called a ninth or a... What is the 'quarter' equivalent for something divided by nine?

Saturn
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    There is no corresponding Latinate word for a ninth (that I've ever heard of, at least). If there were, it ought probably to be a none or a noner, which would just be confusing. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Jan 07 '14 at 02:53
  • Is there a corresponding word for a sixth? A seventh? An eighth? And why is there only one /t/ in eighth? – FumbleFingers Jan 07 '14 at 02:59
  • @FumbleFingers logically, an eighth is an octave. – cde Jun 01 '14 at 22:15
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    @cde: I think I'd be inclined to say the relationship between 8 and octave is more akin to 3 and triplet (or triad). That's to say, an octave is a thing made up of 8 parts, not one of the 8 parts that make up a thing. – FumbleFingers Jun 02 '14 at 03:24
  • @FumbleFingers wouldn't that be the difference between "a triplet" vs "triplets"? – cde Jun 02 '14 at 05:56
  • @cde: Good point. Despite the fact that I actually posted nonuplet as the best of a bad bunch, when I wrote triplet I was actually thinking of the any group or combination of three sense. But lets face it, I doubt you could get anyone to agree there are any contexts where octave and octuplet are interchangeable. – FumbleFingers Jun 02 '14 at 12:05

2 Answers2

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OED has a definition for...

ninth part n. each of the nine equal parts into which a thing may be divided; (also fig.) denoting a worthless or inadequate object or person, esp. in ninth part of a man.

Other than that the only word I know is pretty specific - it only applies to each of a 9-baby birth...

nonuplet (defn 2.) Each of nine siblings resulting from a single pregnancy. Usu. in pl.

Apparently there's only one in the world (only two sets are known, and all the other babies died).

FumbleFingers
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I realize I'm very late to this, but I just did a crossword puzzle and the answer to the clue "many a pizza slice" was "octant".

I find this definition via google:

  1. an arc of a circle equal to one eighth of its circumference, or the area enclosed by such an arc with two radii of the circle. [Note: this justifies the pizza slice answer.]
  2. each of eight parts into which a space or solid body is divided by three planes that intersect (especially at right angles) at a single point.

H

howardl
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  • 2^3 is 8. So cut it in half 3 times. Cut in half, stack up, cut in half, stack up, cut in half. Done. 8 identical pieces. – Dan Bron Jun 20 '17 at 22:24
  • within seconds of posting I realized my question (how to divide a square cake into 8 equal parts) was easily answered. Sorry to waste your time and thanks for a civil answer. – howardl Jun 20 '17 at 22:26
  • Yup. Isn't that how it goes? – Dan Bron Jun 20 '17 at 22:42