26984 words

divide

17 definitions • 22 examples
1
to (cause to) separate into parts or groups:

Examples:

divide into At the end of the lecture, I'd like all the students to divide into small discussion groups.
be divided into After the Second World War, Germany was divided into two separate countries.
2
to share:

Examples:

divide something among someone/something I think we should divide the costs equally among us.
3
If something divides two areas, it marks the edge or limit of them:

Examples:

divide someone/something from someone/something There's a narrow alley that divides our house from the one next door.
dividing line This path marks the dividing line between my land and my neighbour's.
4
to use different amounts of something for different purposes or activities:

Examples:

divide something between something She divides her time between her apartment in New York and her house in the Berkshires.
5
If Members of Parliament divide, they vote by separating into two groups, one group who want the law that is being voted on to be accepted and one group who are against it:

Examples:

After a lengthy debate, MPs/the House of Commons divided.
6
to cause a group of people to disagree about something:

Examples:

The party is divided over the issue of capital punishment.
7
a way of keeping yourself in a position of power by causing disagreements among other people so that they are unable to oppose you:

Examples:

It's just a fact that the principle that underpins any empire is divide and rule.
8
to calculate the number of times that one number fits (exactly) into another:

Examples:

10 divided by 5 is/equals 2.
9
If a number divides into another number, it fits (exactly) into it when multiplied a particular number of times:

Examples:

What do you get if you divide 6 into 18?
10

Examples:

divide between The divide between the rich and the poor in this country is continuing to grow.
11
to separate into parts or groups, or to cause something to separate in such a way:

Examples:

[ T ] Divide the cake into six equal parts.
[ I ] The votes divided equally for and against the proposal.
12
If something divides two areas, it marks the edge or limit of both of them:

Examples:

[ T ] A narrow driveway divides our house from the one next door.
13
To divide a group of people is to cause them to disagree:

Examples:

[ T ] The issue of tax reform continues to divide the country.
14
to calculate the number of times one number is contained in another:

Examples:

[ T ] 10 divided by 5 is/equals 2.
[ T ] What do you get if you divide 6 into 18?
15

Examples:

It’s on taxes that the divide between the two candidates is widest.
16
to calculate the number of times one number fits into another:

Examples:

17
to separate, or make something separate, into different parts or groups:

Examples:

He and his brother decided to divide the company into two parts.

Navigation