n. A part separated from the adjoining parts by a partition or other mechanical means: as, the compartments of a steamship or of a European railway-carriage.n. In art, a panel; a cartouche; a coffer; any portion of a work or design separated from the rest by a frame or molding, by being raised or sunk, or in any other way, especially to receive an inscription or a decoration of any kind: as, the compartments of a coffered ceiling; the small sculptured compartments of the portals of the cathedral of Amiens. See cut under calendar.n. Specifically, in heraldry, any partition or division of the field.n. A division or chamber in any part of a plant or of an animal.n. In forestry, the unit of area treated in a working plan. The size and the shape of compartments are determined mainly by topographic features.