# parts

/ˈpɑɹts/ (US) · /pˈɑːts/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/parts
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. pieces of a whole

noun · CEFR A1

two or more pieces that make up a complete object or system.

For teachers: constituent portions or components which together comprise a whole entity or system.

- The mechanic ordered the new parts to fix the broken engine.
- The assembly of the aircraft requires thousands of precision-engineered parts sourced from suppliers across the globe.

### 2. a region or area

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a particular area or neighborhood, often used when talking about where you live.

For teachers: a particular region, district, or vicinity; frequently used in the idiomatic phrase 'these parts'.

- We don't see many tourists in these parts during the winter.
- Having grown up in these parts, he was intimately familiar with the hidden trails that bypassed the main coastal roads.

### 3. genitals

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a polite or indirect way to talk about a person's sex organs.

For teachers: a euphemistic reference to the external genitalia; a shortened form of 'private parts'.

- The doctor asked if he had any pain in his private parts.
- The medical examiner noted minor bruising to the victim's private parts, suggesting a struggle had occurred prior to the injury.

### 4. talents or abilities

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

a person's natural skills or intelligence.

For teachers: intellectual ability, learning, or natural talents; often used in the phrase 'a man of parts'.

- He was known as a man of many parts, being both a poet and a scientist.
- The biography depicts the statesman as a man of singular parts, possessing both a keen legal mind and a profound grasp of classical philosophy.

### 5. to separate

verb · CEFR B1

to move away from someone or to divide something into pieces.

For teachers: the third-person singular present form of 'part', meaning to separate, divide, or leave someone's company.

- The river parts into two smaller streams just before the lake.
- The crowd parts as the motorcade approaches, creating a narrow corridor for the vehicles to pass through the square.

## Examples

- He accidentally kicked me in the parts.
- The athlete wore a protective cup to ensure no damage came to his private parts during the match.
- While the script relied heavily on physical comedy, the actor's constant jokes about his 'naughty parts' eventually wore thin with the more sophisticated members of the audience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.