1Break or cause to break forcibly into parts, especially into halves or along the grain.

1. 1.1 Remove or be removed by breaking, separating, or dividing.
   with object the point was pressed against the edge of the flint to split off flakes

   no object an incentive for regions to split away from countries

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Lackawanna County was split off from Luzerne on 13 August 1878.
   • As a science developed, it split off from philosophy.
   • The division was split off as a separate company in 1871.
   • Archaea split off from bacteria some four billion years ago.
   • Younger members gradually split off, building a separate house in the neighborhood.
   • If they decide to split off from the Episcopal Church as now constituted, these groups have an excellent opportunity to survive and prosper.
   • And, of course, there were those who said they would split away from the church when they decided to ordain women.
   • They have disapproved of the way the chief spokesman was appointed as well as the manner in which some constituents split away and held separate meetings.
   • When New Zealand split away from the supercontinent Gondwana some 80 million years ago, its flora and fauna were left to develop in isolation.
   • In 1960, the Gujarati-speaking areas of Bombay were split off to form the present-day Gujarat.
   • The blast caused a seismic rupture that split off a sizable part of Canada and created what we now know as Vancouver Island.
   • As the train surged on through the station the rear carriage split off and careered into the platform, scattering waiting travellers.
   • A few lengths were split off from a short section of 2x4, twisting and levering on the knife to pop them loose.
   • Icebergs split off from the towering ice-cliffs with deafening roars.
   • The strongly growing branches that are produced as a result of drastic pruning have poor attachment to the main stem and are likely to split off and fall if left to grow too long and heavy.
   • Meanwhile, the material management operation was split off into a separate company.
   • When membranes split off, the result can be disastrous.
   • The first Assembly, in Edinburgh in 1560, was addressed by one of the Kirk's founders, John Knox, as the new church split away from the Catholic Church.
   • But the monotremes probably split away from this main line of evolution early on, in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous.
   • Early humans split off from a common ancestor shared with chimpanzees between five and eight million years ago.

   Synonyms

   break up, separate, part, part company, become estranged, reach a parting of the ways
2. 1.2 Divide or cause to divide into parts or elements.
   no object the river had split into a number of channels

   with object splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The flow of coolant when entering our heatsink base is split into six separate channels and two separate directions.
   • The development will be split into five separate blocks.
   • The retail business of both his Florida and New Mexico stores was split evenly between new and pre-owned vehicles.
   • The cotton country on this farm is split into two separate developments of about 1250 acres each.
   • Classes, which last for 45 minutes, are split into separate sessions for babies, one- to two-year-olds, and two- to four-year-olds.
   • The program is split into three separate phases.
   • This electricity splits the water molecules in an electrolyte, producing hydrogen.
   • Sozopol is split into two main parts: the old town and new town - known as Harmanite.
   • This resulted in two items being added, no items being dropped, one item being split into two separate items, and one item having minor wording changes.
   • The water molecule is split into hydrogen ions (positively charged atoms) and oxygen.
   • It left me absolutely dumbfounded to see the 25-foot high walls, to see how towns have been split into two.
   • It takes energy to split the water molecule and release hydrogen, but that energy is later recovered during oxidation to produce water.
   • He welcomed another measure now set to be adopted by the agency, under which the westbound carriageway will be split into two separate lanes.
   • Under the new scheme, the town centre will be split into 12 different zones which council bosses claim could be cleared in minutes.
   • But when did the Olympics split into separate Summer and Winter Games, and where were the first Winter Olympics held?
   • The response was split evenly - 44 percent didn't work; 44 percent did work.
   • Her hair was pulled back into a large ponytail which was split into five separate braids.
   • The exam is split into 10 separate tests, which last from two minutes to 18 minutes.
   • After much debate, it was split into two separate and distinct countries.
   • The playing field is split into three separate areas: surface, air, and underground.

   Synonyms

   fork, divide in two, divide, bifurcate, go in different directions, diverge, branch
3. 1.3with object Divide and share (something, especially resources or responsibilities)
   they met up and split the booty

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She wouldn't have to live in Dulles full time; she could split her duties between New York and Virginia.
   • For their first date, he invited her to split a bottle of whiskey under a highway overpass.
   • By splitting your investment between the stocks of two different companies, you reduce the potential risk to your portfolio.
   • Friday night I had a massage, then a boy came over and we split a bottle of red wine on my back step.
   • Suppose a couple agrees to split their assets, with one taking cash and the other taking mutual funds and stocks.
   • We paid for the fish, and Gwen grabbed a soda for herself and me to split before we headed out to her car.
   • Arrangements had been made for splitting the booty, and discussions had been held on future joint operations.
   • Next, inform them it is traditional in your country to split a bottle of liquor when strangers meet.
   • The result is that D's share is split between B and C, so that each gets €180,000.
   • We all drink litres of iced water and then we split the bill - usually about £1 each.
   • After only 5 hours one of the porters felt he did not want to carry on, so we split the load between the five of us and entered the bush walking along narrow tracks with deer jumping around ahead of us.
   • Currently, the federal and state governments split the responsibility for hospitals, community care and doctors.
   • Songwriting duties are split between the foursome with Liam weighing in with three decent enough efforts.
   • Why didn't you work together with the other pirates and just split the booty?
   • Are the two of you planning to split incomes/job responsibilities in the future?
   • Stalin urged that the invasion should be launched as early as possible so that the Germans would be forced to split their resources between the Eastern and Western fronts.
   • Balloons cost between 3 and 4 million and pilots often form syndicates to split the cost and share balloons.
   • But splitting his responsibilities with another MP would at least save him the indignity of being sacked.
   • We then split the responsibility in terms of who does what.
   • The couple now split the childcare duties, although Hough insists that her husband is the better parent.

   Synonyms

   share, share out, divide, divide up, apportion, allocate, allot, distribute, dole out, parcel out, measure out
4. 1.4with object Cause the fission of (an atom).
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Now that we know how to split atoms, splice genes, clone life and swap parts, what shall we do with that knowledge?
   • The greatest challenge to mankind is not to split the atom or climb the highest mountain.
   • A fission weapon consequently works through the creation of an uncontrolled nuclear reaction, which literally splits the atoms.
   • We can split the atom and land a rocket on Mars, but sanity and civilization are a delicate edifice of reason over a maelstrom of envy, insecurity, and terror.
   • Then your scientists stumbled upon the atom bomb, split the atom.
   • Einstein said that ever since the atom was split, the world has changed irrevocably, except the way we think.
   • Today's power plants were commissioned to split atoms for not more than four decades.
   • It is unpredictable, and it is the equivalent of splitting the atom on the molecular level, and we all know what harm nuclear technologies have wrought.
   • Ask a New Zealander who split the atom and they'll tell you it was Ernest Rutherford.
   • Individuals can have key roles to play - Stephenson built the first steam engine, Rutherford split the atom, Fleming discovered penicillin.
   • He split the atom, he demonstrated the shape of it with its nucleus and orbiting electrons.
   • An equivalent amount of energy would be necessary to split the atom apart.
   • The only relief in this mass of subatomic neutrons, are the admittedly fascinating portraits of the oddball scientists who split the atom and paved the way for the nuclear bomb.
   • Seventy years ago, it was thought to be absolutely impossible to split the atom.
   • Like the atoms that must be split for a fission bomb to explode, modern-day Lahore is itself divided: between old and new, rich and poor, conservative and liberal.
   • Our own Ernest Walton split the atom using something remarkably similar, but it all sounds so, well, physical, doesn't it?
   • It all started with the discovery of the atom, and how splitting it could release vast amounts of energy.
   • We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
   • A woman could head a corporation and split the atom, but her appearance as a bride is still seen as her moment of triumph and the pinnacle of her career.
   • It will be powered by a fission reactor that will split uranium atoms, releasing heat that can be converted into electricity.
5. 1.5with object Issue new shares of (stock) to existing stockholders in proportion to their current holdings.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Apple's decision to split the stock was made last April, and approved by the shareholders later that month.
   • When the shares hit $65, its executives decide to split the company's stock.
   • The IP firm, which split its stock four ways the day before, saw its new share price soar to $83.375, a rise of $26.6875 on the day.
   • Its stock has split twice and nearly tripled in price since 2000, making it one of the few Internet companies to have prospered.
   • According to MacUser, the dip won't prevent Apple from splitting its stock, a move approved both by the company's board and the majority of its shareholders.
   • In essence, the company splits the stock, printing new shares and giving them out to existing shareholders based on how many they already own.
   • I went back and checked; its stock has been split 13 times since 1978.
   • Can I refloat on the stock market, splitting two for one, if I think the shares are over valued?
   • He also said the bank had no intention to split its shares.
   • A year ago a whole rash of hi-tech companies decided to split their shares into smaller sizes, after euphoric investors had pushed up their share prices to heady levels.
   • Stonesoft is traded on the Helsinki stock market and did a four-to-one split just before tech stocks took a dive in March.
   • The stock has split six times in the last eight years, making the forgotten bounty of 48,000 shares in the company worth around $4 million.
   • So, if the value of the stock doesn't change, what motivates a company to split its stock?
   • Every time a stock decides to change its name, split, or do anything that will affect its stock certificate, a new number is assigned to it.
   • Companies for which high share price is driven by performance will split stocks.
   • The announced move marks the ninth time that Stryker shares have split in the 25 years since the company went public in 1979.
   • In the meantime, Nvidia plans to split its stock on a two-for-one basis, the company said yesterday.
   • He expects the cash-rich company, which has no debt, to split its stock 2-for-1 this year.
   • The company also announced plans to split its stock 2-for-1, leaving it with about 10.8 billion common shares.
   • If this were the case, you could split existing shares into smaller denominations to achieve an equal division.

2(with reference to a group of people) divide into two or more groups.

1. 2.1no object End a marriage or an emotional or working relationship.
   I split up with my boyfriend a year ago

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Readers don't need to know what bloggers had for breakfast or whether they have split up with their girlfriend or not.
   • Uncle David split up with his girlfriend today.
   • Only consider it if you would have no major problem with splitting up with your current partner anyway.
   • He split up with his wife after moving back to York, and has been unable to hold down a job because of his condition.
   • It is a few days before Valentine's Day and he has recently split up with Clementine after a relationship that lasted a year.
   • And she told him that a few years earlier she had split up with a man because he wanted to marry her and she didn't want to.
   • I split up with the father of my daughter, for various reasons and was therefore single again, but I was not looking for a relationship.
   • She was thought to have recently split up with her boyfriend but had been enjoying regular nights out with friends.
   • At the time, I sort of dismissed it, but, after I had split up with my boyfriend, I kept thinking about it.
   • Jane split up with him while pregnant, certain it wouldn't work out.
   • He was £17,000 in debt, about to split up with his girlfriend and thought he had failed his exams for the second time when actually he had passed.
   • Last year, she split up with her husband of fourteen years.
   • Over dinner, two members of the press pack tell me they've split up with their girlfriends by phone or e-mail in recent days.
   • She had later married, but split up with her husband in 1989.
   • I don't understand her fascination with someone whom she split up with 15 years ago.
   • I split up with the girl after about thirteen months.
   • If you split up with your partner, you should contact your bank regarding the joint account as soon as possible.
   • After he split up with his wife at the beginning of the year, his life spiralled out of control.
   • The lack of legal protection also means that many men who have split up with the mothers of their children have been frozen out of their children's upbringing, and have to go to court if they want to get access.
   • Her last guy, Mark, had split up with her a week ago.

   Synonyms

   break up, separate, part, part company, become estranged, reach a parting of the ways
2. 2.2with object (of an issue) cause (a group) to be divided because of opposing views.
   the party was deeply split over its future direction

   Example sentencesExamples

   • By 1972 the Democratic Party in North Carolina was deeply split over the issue of race.
   • The survey, conducted between mid-April and mid-June, found most ethnic groups were evenly split on the issue of national identity.
   • Workers leaving Longbridge yesterday were split on who was responsible for the crisis.
   • The prime minister's Social Democratic party is itself notoriously split on the issue of European integration.
   • When the group almost split over the issue of whether to focus on confrontational action or voter registration, she healed the breach by saying it should work on both.
   • Nationalist activists were thus split over constitutional issues as well as partisan versus non-partisan political strategies.
   • He talks candidly about his feelings over these turbulent months and discusses his views on the issues splitting the modern Church.
   • The Government is split over the issue of drugs in prison.
   • Conservation groups are also split, the Ramblers Association calling on the park authority to reject the plans.
   • The nation appears to be split over the question of whether abortion should be available on demand or only under certain conditions.
   • Views are split over whether to apply for shares.
   • In the past members have been split over the issue, with some wanting to move and others forming a preservation society because they wanted to stay.
   • The European Union, in fact, is deeply split over such issues as its budget and constitution.
   • The party which has for over 100 years been the main focus of working class politics is now split over an issue of life and death.
   • However, the scientific community is split over the issue.
   • The party, which was deeply split on the issue, could very well break apart.
   • The lough-side village has been split over the issue with one side arguing that the football pitch was required to meet the sporting needs of the young.
   • The road has proved to be a contentious issue, splitting the village of Hilperton into two camps, one supporting the application, the other campaigning against it.
   • Later, it was learned that the largest faction in the House was split over the issue.
   • Cultural issues have split libertarians from social conservatives.

   Synonyms

   divide, disunite, separate, sever

3informal no object (of one's head) suffer great pain from a headache.

4British informal no object Betray the secrets of or inform on someone.

5informal no object Leave a place, especially suddenly.

1A tear, crack, or fissure in something, especially down the middle or along the grain.

1. 1.1 An instance or act of splitting or being split; a division.
   the split between the rich and the poor

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Note how the split appears to occur between neighboring actin bundles.
   • There is no indication that Peter Faulding ever made a specific proposal to the Deakins either at this, or any later, stage that there should be a split of shares along these lines.
   • Education appears to value the split created between socially valued knowledge and experiential knowledge.
   • This seems to be just another instance of the classic split between graphic design and information design.
   • The company calculates that its split into northern and southern divisions will provide a platform for profitable growth over the next six months.
   • Of course at every instant a split occurs each of us becomes one or more close duplicates, each traveling a new universe.
   • Once Rehnquist resigned and Roberts took his place you have a split down the middle 4-4 court with O'Connor in the middle.
   • Obviously, back in Vietnam when there was a split in the country, you had clear ideological divisions.
   • Most polymorphism thus appears to predate the split of these closely related genera.
   • The frogs were silent and branches broke with a split and crack.
   • At 2.2 mm diameter, the ribs are particularly strong near the umbilicus and become weaker after their split in the middle of the flank.
   • With only three games left before the split into three divisions every result now takes on even greater importance.
   • There is a marked split between rich and poor in most of the country.
   • But as you know, there's a lot of people concerned about the split, the division between the executive and the legislative branch.
   • Base the split along the lines of where the expertise lies.
   • It recommends that a radical new funding formula is devised to redress the balance, based on actual crime figures, not an arbitrary three-way split between the divisions.
   • The above split of proceeds excludes the moneys of pre-delivery instalments already paid by the company and received by the Yard.
   • Where the split occurs along the body determines how much duplication of organs there is and the degree of competition between the two heads.
   • It's a clear split down the middle: boy bands and us.
   • The obstacles to the large-scale reform of the United Nations may reside above all in the split between the rich North and the poor South, the haves and the have-nots.
2. 1.2 A separation into parties or within a party; a schism.
   the accusations caused a split in the party

   Example sentencesExamples

   • There are a lot of reasons for this failure, including the long-time split within the party between hawks and doves.
   • Divisions and splits in the Callaghan government had ‘led to 18 years of Thatcherism’.
   • The voluntary organisation has been riven by internal conflict, with a split over its future direction.
   • A split along national lines, whereby England's vote comprises a mirror image of that north of the Border, looks set to trigger a political row which could test the mettle of the new parliament.
   • Meanwhile, the splits within his party, he claims, have been devastating.
   • The split within the party has led to tactical shifts in which conservatives and Democrats often team up to embarrass the ruling moderate Republicans.
   • But now, suddenly, we can't tell whether a split is a real division or just an honest difference of opinion.
   • The long and short of it is that the splits and divisions on the far side of the House are irreconcilable and deep.
   • And its message of peace is still needed in world conflicts, neighbourhood rows, family splits - and, yes, in church divisions.
   • In the early 1940s, however, splits appeared in the Fianna Fail government over how beneficial land distribution was.
   • Society is in chaos, tainted with conflict and splits between the haves and have-nots, conservatives and progressives, and management and labor.
   • One member who attended a special general meeting on the plan earlier this month, said the split had developed along classic generational lines.
   • It is doubtless unfortunate for the split to appear at this stage, with an election on the horizon.
   • Despite divisions in Afrikanerdom and splits in the government over strategy, the security forces, including the black police, had remained loyal.
   • One piece decries the stark split tearing the country, and another seems to pine for a sort of folksy patriotism.
   • Despite the many splits and divisions which have plagued the Gaels through the years, there have always been a few things which brought us together.
   • The split reflects a division of opinion among courts generally on the issue of affirmative action.
   • ‘There appears to be a split between the chairman and the non executives at Gresham,’ a Red Sea source said.
   • The conference's family orientation also helped to prevent a split, because a division would undoubtedly have separated relatives.
   • Nevertheless, splits occurred along class lines, on the issue of temperance, and on account of differences in personality among the leaders.

   Synonyms

   division, rift, breach, schism, rupture, partition, separation, severance, break-up, alienation, estrangement
3. 1.3 An ending of a marriage or an emotional or working relationship.
   a much-publicized split with his wife

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Duffy's sudden desire to conceive a child no longer fits into Meg's schedule, and the strain on their relationship causes a split.
   • I thought it was a pretty useful word that allowed New Zealanders to talk about how they would look after their kids in the event of a relationship split.
   • Richard Cooper, defending, told the court of the marriage split which drove Franklyn to the drugs.
   • Along with the split came a new licensing agreement.
   • A website offering cheap divorces online has processed its 15,000th marriage split.
   • News of their engagement, marriage, and split made the papers on a regular basis.
   • O'Byrne had an acrimonious split from his wife who formed a relationship with another man.
   • Pitt says there was a certain beauty in his marriage to Aniston, and surprisingly, also in their split.
   • Mrs Moffat told the inquest that Mrs Seaton had been devastated over the temporary split but did not think the relationship was going to work out.
   • A study has found that more than 70 per cent of new marriages ends in a split and the child is a main reason for the break-up.
   • Fortunately, the split was relatively free of rancour, and her father remained a consistent presence and guiding spirit in her life.
   • This is possible, I suppose, although my admittedly sketchy review of the relationship didn't reveal any hints of a split.
   • It has since transpired that this ‘other’ woman only became Zurawski's girlfriend after a marriage split that occurred long before he arrived in Scotland.
   • The singer has also insisted that his split from Kerry will not affect his relationship with his two children.
   • It is believed his split from his second wife last month sent him back into the binge-drinking spiral which has plagued his adult life.
   • The inquest heard how Mr Palmer had been coping well following his split with his wife of 14 years.
   • The split was acrimonious and relations are still strained.
   • The radio star and DJ have blamed hectic work schedules for causing their marriage split.
   • His acrimonious split from his wife has contributed to his blithely acknowledged misogyny, hence there are no women working in his restaurant.
   • Is this evidence of one of the first Hollywood relationships with a friendly split?

   Synonyms

   break-up, split-up, separation, parting, estrangement, parting of the ways, rift, rupture, breach
4. 1.4
   short for stock split

2a split" or "the splits(in gymnastics and dance) an act of leaping in the air or sitting down with the legs straight and at right angles to the upright body, one in front and the other behind, or one at each side.

3A thing that is divided or split.

1. 3.1 A bun, roll, or cake that is split or cut in half.
2. 3.2 A split osier used in basketwork.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • So you come back and you hit the stick of wood right in the middle, right through here, and it'll give you two splits.
   • Seating himself on his accustomed stool, he began to weave the splits dexterously in an out.
   • Then as he walked, he wove the splits into a basket to be traded at the store for whatever provisions the family needed.
3. 3.3 Each strip of steel or cane that makes up the reed in a loom.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Tweeling is produced by increasing the number of threads in each split of the reed.
   • After the warp ends have been threaded individually through wire eyes on the shafts, they are sleyed collectively through each split in the reed.
4. 3.4 Half a bottle or glass of champagne or other liquor.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • We drank a split of Taittinger Brut champagne during the appetizers, and our patience was rewarded.
   • You see, back then, it was cool to drink a split.
5. 3.5 A single thickness of split hide.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • They use only quality top-grain leather in their products and do not use leather splits or vinyls.
   • His factory didn't even tan the split (another part of the leather making process); they'd sell them off to be made into gloves or whatever.
6. 3.6 (in bowling) a formation of standing pins after the first ball in which there is a gap between two pins or groups of pins, making a spare unlikely.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • On certain splits, or even on spare shots when a single pin is needed, bowlers will roll the ball from what they consider an easier or safer angle.
   • If you look around and don't see as many strikes, and a lot of splits or spares are on the board, the lanes probably are playing a little bit tougher.
   • Workman, meanwhile, got a split in the second frame, then strung seven strikes in a row, pretty much ending the match.
   • The big-hook players leave many more difficult spares and splits than a player with a narrower angle of entry.
   • Also, when you're bowling well, the miss-hits don't leave you with big splits and tough spares.
7. 3.7North American A drawn game or series.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Prior to the four games, coach Bishop expressed his desire to at least register a split in the two games last Saturday against the Western squad which he said is close in skill level to Waterloo.
   • SFU's women's basketball squad pulled off a split in two tight matches against the Dinos on Jan.13 and 14.
   • But they still get to keep this week's top spot, mainly because the series ended in a split, and no one below them did all that much to leap ahead.
   • English cricket chief David Morgan said the World Cup match in Zimbabwe must go ahead to avoid a split in the international game.
   • As the Series headed north after a split at Edison Field, the styles had been established but not an advantage.
   • Only 5 of the Yankees’ 14 runs were earned as the four-game series ended in a split.
   • Maybe they should be happy to get out of Atlanta with a split of the two games.
   • And yesterday, in a rusty performance by both teams after a month layoff, even their exhibition game ended in a split with a 5-5 draw.
   • At Miami, Carlos Delgado hit a pinch-hit grand slam to cap a six-run fifth inning for Florida to salvage a split in the four-game series.
8. 3.8US A split-level house.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • My house is a split, so the basement is only under the main part of the house.
   • The fact that your home is a split should not be a major factor here.

4The time it takes to complete a recognized part of a race, or the point in the race where such a time is measured.

A seaport on the coast of southern Croatia; population 177,500 (est. 2009). It contains the ruins of the palace of the emperor Diocletian, built in about AD 300.