split

1 /splIt/ verb past tense and past participle splitpresent participle splitting

1 INTO GROUPS also split up (I, T) if a group of people splits or is split, it divides into two or more groups, because one group strongly disagrees with the other: The issue of women's ordination is splitting the church.

(+ over/on): The party split over segregation. | be split on/over: The National Defense Committee is split over the use of military force.

2 INTO PARTS also split up (I, T) to divide or separate something into different parts, or to be divided into different parts

(+ into): Each district was split up into a number of sub-divisions. | At the end of the bridge the expressway split into two roads.

3 BREAK OR TEAR (I, T) if something splits or if you split it, it tears or breaks along a straight line: Harry split his trousers climbing over the fence.

(+ open): One of the pumpkins had split open. | split (sth) in two/half: The board had split in two. | split (sth) down/across/along etc: He split the stone down the middle.

4 SHARE (T) to divide something into separate parts so that two or more people each get a part: split sth between: Profits will be split between three major charities. | split sth three/four etc ways (=into three, four, or more equal parts): I think we should split what's left three ways. | split the bill/cost: It's only fair to split the cost of the bills.

5 INJURE also split open (T) to cut someone's head or lip, by hitting them: The poor guy had his head split right open.

6 LEAVE (I) slang to leave quickly: They grabbed her purse and split.

7 split hairs to argue that there is a difference between two things, when the difference is really too small to be important: Let's stop splitting hairs and get back to the main issue.

8 split the difference to agree on an amount that is exactly between two amounts that have been mentioned: You want $20, I'm offering $10. Why don't we split the difference?

9 split your sides to laugh very hard

split off phrasal verb

1 (I) to completely separate from a group

(+ from): The ancestors of this animal split off from the rest and established themselves as an independent species.

2 (I, T) to break something away from something so that it is completely separate, or to break off in this way: Huge boulders had split off and rolled down the mountainside.

split on sb phrasal verb (T) informal especially BrE to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone else has done: You wouldn't split on a pal would you? split up phrasal verb

1 (I) to end a marriage or relationship: Steve's parents split up when he was four.

(+ with): Jackie's splitting up with her boyfriend.

2 (I, T) to divide into groups: Please don't split up when we get to the museum. | split sth up: The teacher split up the class into three groups.

3 (transitive split something up) to divide or separate something into different parts: The article is easier to read if you split it up into sections.

2 noun (C)

1 a long straight hole caused when something breaks or tears: a split in the seat of his trousers

2 a serious disagreement that divides an organization or group of people into smaller groups: Arguments over admitting women to the club may lead to a split.

3 the part of something you receive when something, especially money, is shared: a three-way/four-way etc split (=a share of something that is divided equally between three, four etc people)

4 informal a difference between two things, ideas etc: the split between ideals and reality

5 do the splits to spread your legs wide apart so that your legs touch the floor along their whole length

—see also: banana split