Di*vide" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Divided; p. pr. & vb. n.
Dividing.] [L. dividere, divisum; di- = dis-
+ root signifying to part; cf. Skr. vyadh to
pierce; perh. akin to L. vidua widow, and E. widow.
Cf. Device, Devise.] 1. To part
asunder (a whole); to sever into two or more parts or pieces; to
sunder; to separate into parts.
Divide the living child in two.
1 Kings iii. 25.
2. To cause to be separate; to keep apart by
a partition, or by an imaginary line or limit; as, a wall
divides two houses; a stream divides the
towns.
Let it divide the waters from the
waters.
Gen. i. 6.
3. To make partition of among a number; to
apportion, as profits of stock among proprietors; to give in shares;
to distribute; to mete out; to share.
True justice unto people to
divide.
Spenser.
Ye shall divide the land by lot.
Num. xxxiii. 54.
4. To disunite in opinion or interest; to
make discordant or hostile; to set at variance.
If a kingdom be divided against itself, that
kingdom can not stand.
Mark iii. 24.
Every family became now divided within
itself.
Prescott.
5. To separate into two parts, in order to
ascertain the votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a
legislative house upon a question.
6. (Math.) To subject to arithmetical
division.
7. (Logic) To separate into species; -
- said of a genus or generic term.
8. (Mech.) To mark divisions on; to
graduate; as, to divide a sextant.
9. (Music) To play or sing in a florid
style, or with variations. [Obs.] Spenser.
Syn. -- To sever; dissever; sunder; cleave; disjoin;
disunite; detach; disconnect; part; distribute; share.
Di*vide", v. i. 1.
To be separated; to part; to open; to go asunder.
Milton.
The Indo-Germanic family divides into three
groups.
J. Peile.
2. To cause separation; to
disunite.
A gulf, a strait, the sea intervening between islands,
divide less than the matted forest.
Bancroft.
3. To break friendship; to fall out.
Shak.
4. To have a share; to partake.
Shak.
5. To vote, as in the British Parliament, by
the members separating themselves into two parties (as on opposite
sides of the hall or in opposite lobbies), that is, the ayes
dividing from the noes.
The emperors sat, voted, and divided with their
equals.
Gibbon.
Di*vide", n. A dividing ridge of
land between the tributaries of two streams; a watershed.
