Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - segregation

 noun  Date: 1555  1. the act or process of segregating ; the state of being segregated  2.  a. the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means  b. the separation for special treatment or observation of individuals or items from a larger group ~ of gifted children into accelerated classes  3. the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis