split

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To divide or break something into parts, often along a line.

   We split the pizza into four equal pieces.

2. 2
   verb

   To share something between people.

   They split the cost of the meal among the three of them.

3. 3
   verb

   To leave a place, especially quickly (informal).

   It's getting late, so let's split.

4. 4
   noun

   A crack or tear that divides something lengthwise.

   There was a long split down the side of the old wooden table.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Split was borrowed in the late 16th century from Dutch splitten. Its earliest English use referred to a ship breaking apart on rocks.

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 Middle English ysplett (“split”, past participle of splatten (“to split”)), Old English speld (“splinter”), Old High German spaltan (“to split”), Middle Irish slis (“splinter”), Lithuanian spaliai (“flax sheave…

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary