Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Definition of chapter noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Oxford3000Academic

chapter

noun
chapter pronunciation English ˈtʃæptə(r) chapter pronunciation American ˈtʃæptər
 
1 (abbr. chap.) [countable] a separate section of a book, usually with a number or titleI've just finished Chapter 3.in the previous/next/last chapterHave you read the chapter on the legal system?2 [countable] a period of time in a person's life or in historya difficult chapter in our country's history3 [countable + singular or plural verb] all the priests of a cathedral or members of a religious communitya meeting of the dean and chapter4 [countable] (especially North American English) a local branch of a society, club, etcthe local chapter of the Rotary club
Idioms

chapter and verse

the exact details of something, especially the exact place where particular information may be found
I can't give chapter and verse, but that's the rough outline of our legal position.

a chapter of accidents

(British English) a series of unfortunate eventsThe whole affair has been a chapter of accidents from start to finish.