department
/dɪˈpɑːtmənt/noun
1- a division of a large organization such as a government, university, business, or shop, dealing with a specific subject, commodity, or area of activity（政府的）部; （大型机构的）处, 司; （大学的）系：
the council's finance department.
理事会的金融部。
1.1
- an administrative district in France and other countries（法国等国的）省。
1.2
one's department
informal an area of special expertise or responsibility〈非正式〉专长; 专责：that's not my department.
那不是我的专长。
1.3
- with modifier informal a specified aspect or quality〈非正式〉特定方面（或性质）：
he was a few feet shy of Barry in the height department.
他在身高方面比巴里矮几英尺。
词源
late Middle English: from Old French departement, from departir （see DEPART）. The original sense was 'division or distribution'， later 'separation'， hence 'a separate part' （core sense， mid 18th cent.）.