separate

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   have the connection undone

   having become separate

2. 2
   adj

   separated according to race, sex, class, or religion

   separate but equal

3. 3
   verb

   force, take, or pull apart

   I separated the fighting children.

4. 4
   verb

   come apart

   The two pieces that we had glued separated

5. 5
   verb

   To divide (a thing) into separate parts.

   Separate the articles from the headings.

6. 6
   verb

   To disunite from a group or mass; to disconnect.

   Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

7. 7
   verb

   To cause (things or people) to be separate.

   If the kids get too noisy, separate them for a few minutes.

8. 8
   verb

   To divide itself into separate pieces or substances.

   The sauce will separate if you don't keep stirring.

Etymology

From Middle English separaten (“to separate”), from separat (“separated”) + -en, from Latin sēparātus, perfect passive participle of sēparō (“to separate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from sē- (“apart”) + parō (“prepare”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“produce, procure, bring forward, bring forth”). Displaced Middle English scheden, from Old English scēadan (whence English shed). Doublet of sever, also derived from the same Latin verb.