split

Etymology

Attested since about 1567, from Middle Dutch splitten (“to split”) and/or Middle Low German splitten (“to split”), both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *splittjan, an intensive form of Proto-West Germanic *splītan (“to split”), from Proto-Germanic *splītaną (whence Danish splitte, Low German splieten, German spleißen), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pley- (“to split, splice”). Compare Old English speld (“splinter”), Old High German spaltan (“to split”), Old Irish sliss (“splinter”), Lithuanian spaliai (“flax sheaves”), Czech půl (“half”), Old Church Slavonic рас-плитати (ras-plitati, “to cleave, split”).

adj

1. Divided.
   Republicans appear split on the centerpiece of Mr. Obama's economic recovery plan.
   With the descent of the cold war, relations between the two countries (for this is, to all intents and purposes, what they became after the end of the war) were almost completely broken off, with whole families split for the ensuing decades, some for ever. December 19, 2011, Kerry Brown, “Kim Jong-il obituary”, in The Guardian
2. (algebra, of a short exact sequence) Having the middle group equal to the direct product of the others.
3. (of coffee) Comprising half decaffeinated and half caffeinated espresso.
4. (stock exchange, of an order, sale, etc.) Divided so as to be done or executed part at one time or price and part at another time or price.
5. (stock exchange, historical, of quotations) Given in sixteenths rather than eighths.
   10+³⁄₁₆ is a split quotation.
6. (London stock exchange) Designating ordinary stock that has been divided into preferred ordinary and deferred ordinary.

noun

1. A crack or longitudinal fissure.
2. A breach or separation, as in a political party; a division.
3. A piece that is split off, or made thin, by splitting; a splinter; a fragment.
   The kernels split in shelling, known as splits, form a fifth grade of shelled Virginia peanuts. 1929, United States Tariff Commission, Agricultural products and provisions, page 1334
4. (leather manufacture) One of the sections of a skin made by dividing it into two or more thicknesses.
5. (gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, usually in the phrase "to do the splits") A maneuver of spreading or sliding the feet apart until the legs are flat on the floor 180 degrees apart, either sideways to the body or with one leg in front and one behind, thus lowering the body completely to the floor in an upright position.
6. (bodybuilding) A workout routine as seen by its distribution of muscle groups or the extent and manner they are targeted in a microcycle.
7. (baseball, slang) A split-finger fastball.
   He’s got a nasty split.
8. (bowling) A result of a first throw that leaves two or more pins standing with one or more pins between them knocked down.
9. A split shot or split stroke.
10. A dessert or confection resembling a banana split.
11. A unit of measure used for champagne or other spirits: 18.75 centiliters or one quarter of a standard 75-centiliter bottle. Commercially comparable to ¹⁄₂₀ (US) gallon, which is ¹⁄₂ of a fifth.
12. A bottle of wine containing 37.5 centiliters, half the volume of a standard 75-centiliter bottle; a demi.
13. (athletics) The elapsed time at specific intermediate points in a race.
    In the 3000 m race, his 800 m split was 1:45.32
14. (video games) The elapsed time at specific intermediate points in a speedrun.
15. (construction) A tear resulting from tensile stresses.
16. (gambling) A division of a stake happening when two cards of the kind on which the stake is laid are dealt in the same turn.
17. (music) A recording containing songs by multiple artists; a split single.

verb

1. (transitive, ergative, of something solid) To divide fully or partly along a more or less straight line.
   He has split his lip.
   The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom. This system splits water molecules and delivers some of their electrons to other molecules that help build up carbohydrates. 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 2013-09-03
2. (intransitive, of something solid, particularly wood) To break along the grain fully or partly along a more or less straight line.
3. (transitive) To share; to divide.
   We split the money among three people.
   Presently the 57-strong Class 378 fleet is split between the East London line and North London line, with 29 units allocated on the east side. 2019 October, “Funding for 20tph East London Line service”, in Modern Railways, page 18
4. (transitive, intransitive, slang) To leave.
   Let's split this scene and see if we can find a real party.
5. (intransitive, of a couple) To separate.
   Did you hear Dick and Jane split? They'll probably get a divorce.
6. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause to) break up; to throw into discord.
   Accusations of bribery split the party just before the election.
7. (algebra, transitive and intransitive, acts on a polynomial) To factor into linear factors.
   In the first case X²-2, the minimum polynomial of √2, splits completely over Q (√2); in the second case we see that X³-2, the minimum polynomial of 3√2, does not split completely over Q (3√2). 2007, John M. Howie, Fields and Galois Theory, Springer, page 103
8. To be broken; to be dashed to pieces.
9. (intransitive) To burst out laughing.
10. (intransitive, slang, dated) To divulge a secret; to betray confidence; to peach.
11. (sports, especially baseball) For both teams involved in a doubleheader to win one game each and lose another.
    Boston split with Philadelphia in a doubleheader, winning the first game 3-1 before losing 2-0 in the nightcap.
12. (intransitive, politics) To vote for candidates of opposite parties.