Main Entry:

¹di·vide

Pronunciation:

\də-ˈvīd\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

di·vid·ed; di·vid·ing

Etymology:

Middle English, from Latin dividere, from dis- + -videre to separate — more at widow

Date:

14th century

transitive verb1 a: to separate into two or more parts, areas, or groups <divide the city into wards> b: to separate into classes, categories, or divisions <divide history into epochs> c: cleave, part <a ship dividing the waves>2 a: to separate into portions and give out in shares : distribute <divide profits> b: to possess, enjoy, or make use of in common <divide the blame> c: apportion <divides her time between the office and home>3 a: to cause to be separate, distinct, or apart from one another <fields divided by stone walls> b: to separate into opposing sides or parties <the issues that divide us> c: to cause (a parliamentary body) to vote by division4 a: to subject (a number or quantity) to the operation of finding how many times it contains another number or quantity <divide 42 by 14> b: to be used as a divisor with respect to (a dividend) <4 divides 16 evenly> c: to use as a divisor —used with into<divide 14 into 42>intransitive verb1: to perform mathematical division2 a (1): to undergo replication, multiplication, fission, or separation into parts (2): to branch out b: to become separated or disunited especially in opinion or interest

synonyms see separate, distribute

— di·vid·able \-ˈvī-də-bəl\ adjective