bifurcate

verb

bifurcated; bifurcating

transitive verb

: to cause to divide into two branches or parts
bifurcate a beam of light

intransitive verb

: to divide into two branches or parts
The stream bifurcates into two narrow channels.

Did you know?

Yogi Berra, the baseball great who was noted for his head-scratching quotes, is purported to have said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Berra's advice might not offer much help when you're making tough decisions in life, but perhaps it will help you remember bifurcate. A road that bifurcates splits in two, like the one in Berra's adage. Other things can bifurcate (or be bifurcated) as well, such as an organization that splits, or is split, into two factions. Bifurcate comes from the Latin adjective bifurcus, meaning "two-pronged," a combination of the prefix bi- ("two") and the noun furca ("fork"). Furca, as you may have guessed, is also an ancestor of fork, which refers to the handy utensil that can (in a pinch) help us—as Berra might say—to cut our pizza in four pieces when we're not hungry enough to eat six.

Examples of bifurcate in a Sentence

The stream bifurcated into two narrow winding channels. bifurcate a beam of light
Recent Examples on the Web The goal here is not to have a world that is bifurcated in any way. Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2024 One explanation is credit markets have become bifurcated, especially for high-yield bonds. Nick Sargen, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 Within the community, Gamergate seemingly bifurcated men into distinct camps. Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 14 Aug. 2024 The venture market has been bifurcated for some time now of course, as AI soars while other sectors slump. Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bifurcate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bifurcate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin bifurcatus, past participle of bifurcare, from Latin bifurcus two-pronged, from bi- + furca fork

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of bifurcate was in 1615

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Dictionary Entries Near bifurcate

Cite this Entry

“Bifurcate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bifurcate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

bifurcate

intransitive verb
bifurcated; bifurcating
: to divide into two branches or parts
bifurcation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bifurcate

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