Definition

1. Verb:

   • To break or cause to break forcibly into parts, especially from end to end along the grain or line of division: The primary meaning involves something dividing, often with force or along a natural line.
   • To divide or cause to divide into parts or groups, often opposing ones: This refers to separating people, opinions, or things into distinct and often conflicting parts.
   • To leave or depart; to separate from a group or each other: Used informally to mean leaving a place or ending a relationship or association.

2. Noun:

   • A tear, crack, or division caused by splitting: A physical result of the verb, such as a crack in wood or a rip in fabric.
   • A division or disagreement within a group: A situation where a group, such as a political party or organization, divides into factions.
   • The act of dividing or sharing something, especially money or loot: The portion or share one receives from a division.
   • (In sports like bowling) A configuration of standing pins separated by a gap after the first ball: A specific term in tenpin bowling.
   • A dessert consisting of fruit, ice cream, and toppings: A type of sweet dish.

3. Adjective:

   • Divided; separated: Describes something that has been split.
   • (Especially of wood) Cut or ripped longitudinally with the grain: Specifically describes wood prepared by splitting.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The impact caused the wooden plank to split in two.
  • The committee split over the funding issue, with half voting for and half against.
  • It's late; I think I'll split. (Informal)
• Noun:
  • There was a long split in the seam of his jeans.
  • The new policy caused a major split in the party.
  • After selling the car, we each got our split of the money.
  • He left a difficult split in the seventh frame.
  • I ordered a banana split for dessert.
• Adjective:
  • We gathered split logs for the campfire.
  • The group was split on the decision.

Advanced Usage

• "to split hairs": To make extremely fine, trivial, or petty distinctions in an argument.
  • Arguing about the exact wording is just splitting hairs; we all agree on the main point.
• "to split the difference": To settle a dispute by each side compromising and accepting an amount or point midway between their initial positions.
  • You want $50, I want $30, so let's split the difference and agree on $40.
• "split second": An extremely short period of time; an instant.
  • In a split second, the accident happened.

Variants and Related Words

• Split-up (n): The ending of a relationship or partnership.
  • The band's split-up was announced yesterday.
• Splitting (adj): (Of a headache) extremely severe.
  • I have a splitting headache.
• Splitter (n): A person or thing that splits, or a device for splitting logs.

Synonyms

• Verb: Divide, separate, cleave, rend, rupture, part, break.
• Noun: Division, rift, schism, crack, fissure, share, portion.
• Adjective: Divided, separated, fractured, cleft.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Split up: To end a relationship; to separate into smaller groups.
  • They decided to split up after ten years of marriage.
  • The teacher told the class to split up into teams of four.
• Split off: To separate or break away from a larger group.
  • A faction of members split off to form a new party.
• Split on (someone): (Slang) To inform on or betray someone.
  • He was afraid his accomplice would split on him to the police.

Related Idioms

• Laugh/Scream until one's sides split: To laugh or scream extremely hard.
  • The comedian was so funny, we laughed until our sides split.
• A split personality: Refers informally to someone who seems to have two very different sides to their character (clinically: Dissociative Identity Disorder).
  • He's so quiet at work but a party animal on weekends; it's like he has a split personality.

Adjective

1. (especially of wood) cut or ripped longitudinally with the grain
   • we bought split logs for the fireplace
2. having been divided; having the unity destroyed
   • Congress...gave the impression of...a confusing sum of disconnected local forces-Samuel Lubell
   • a league of disunited nations- E.B.White
   • a fragmented coalition
   • a split group

Noun

1. division of a group into opposing factions
   • another schism like that and they will wind up in bankruptcy
2. the act of rending or ripping or splitting something
   • he gave the envelope a vigorous rip
3. an increase in the number of outstanding shares of a corporation without changing the shareholders' equity
   • they announced a two-for-one split of the common stock
4. (tenpin bowling) a divided formation of pins left standing after the first bowl
   • he was winning until he got a split in the tenth frame
5. a dessert of sliced fruit and ice cream covered with whipped cream and cherries and nuts
6. an old Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea
7. an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart
   • there was a rip in his pants
   • she had snags in her stockings
8. a lengthwise crack in wood
   • he inserted the wedge into a split in the log
9. a promised or claimed share of loot or money
   • he demanded his split before they disbanded
10. a bottle containing half the usual amount
11. extending the legs at right angles to the trunk (one in front and the other in back)

Verb

1. come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
   • The bubble burst
2. go one's own way; move apart
   • The friends separated after the party
3. discontinue an association or relation; go different ways
   • The business partners broke over a tax question
   • The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
   • My friend and I split up
4. separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
   • cleave the bone
5. separate into parts or portions
   • divide the cake into three equal parts
   • The British carved up the Ottoman Empire after World War I