divaricate
/dʌɪˈvarɪkeɪt
/ /dɪˈvarɪkeɪt/verb [no object] technical or literary
Stretch or spread apart; diverge widely: her crow’s feet are divaricating like deltas...
- Opportunities and pursuing things that are different from the norm - not divaricating in other directions - are fundamental to Martens's approach.
- The Jurassic Mytilus furcatus Münster has finely nodose, moderately divaricating costae over the whole shell.
- The fuzzy outlines of divaricating plants like coprosma virescens and low grasses should always be placed with bolder foliage for an exciting contrast.
adjective Botany
(Of a branch) coming off the stem almost at a right angle.
Derivatives
divarication
/ /dɪvarɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n / noun ...- There is, however, a larger plot to the poem, wherein all of its disparate elements and wild divarications find their home.
- Another interesting feature was divarication of midline abdominal musculature, which required correction.
- It seamed that between extratonal and neo-tonal codes there were nothing but divarications.
Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin divaricat- 'stretched apart', from the verb divaricare, from di- (expressing intensive force) + varicare 'stretch the legs apart' (from varicus 'straddling').