verb
split
spliht
verb
1
To divide something into parts, often along a line.
"Split the wood along the grain with the axe."
"We split the bill evenly between the four of us."
2
Informal: to leave a place.
"Let's split before the traffic gets bad."
noun
1
A division or separation, especially in an organization or relationship.
"The split between the two founders was messy."
2
A gymnastic move where the legs extend flat in opposite directions.
"The gymnast landed a perfect split."
3
A crack or fissure in a solid object.
"There's a split in the wooden beam that needs repairing."
adjective
1
Divided into separate parts.
"They reached a split decision."
How to Use Split
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo divide something, or a division itself — used for anything from firewood to relationships to gymnastics moves.
Common pairings
split the difference
split up
a clean split
Word Forms
split past tense, splits plural, splits singular
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_____ the wood along the grain with the axe.
Etymology
Attested from around 1567, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German splitten, "to split," ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root related to "splice" and "splinter."