splitting
v. · adj. · n.-
1 dividing into parts (v.) B1 Intermediatedividing one thing into two or more separate pieces.
the present participle of 'split', denoting the act of dividing a whole into constituent parts or groups.
ExampleThey are splitting the bill equally between the four of them.
ExampleThe company is currently splitting its operations into two distinct entities to better manage the domestic and international markets.
- dividing
- separating
- cleaving
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2 a severe headache (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediateused to describe a very painful headache that feels like your head is breaking.
describing a sharp, intense, and throbbing pain, almost exclusively used to modify 'headache'.
ExampleI need to lie down because I have a splitting headache.
ExampleThe bright lights of the stadium only worsened his splitting headache, forcing him to leave the match before the second half began.
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3 very fast (adj.) C1 Advanced Informalmoving at a very high speed.
characterised by extreme speed or rapidity; often used in the phrase 'at a splitting pace'.
ExampleThe car drove past us at a splitting speed.
ExampleThe racehorse rounded the final corner at a splitting pace, leaving the rest of the field struggling to keep up.
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4 a division or separation (n.) C1 Advanced Technicalthe process of something breaking or being divided into parts.
the act or result of dividing or separating; in psychology, it refers to a defense mechanism involving a failure to integrate positive and negative qualities.
ExampleThe splitting of the wood was easy with the new axe.
ExampleIn clinical psychology, splitting is often observed as a tendency to view individuals as either entirely good or entirely bad, with no middle ground.
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5 breaking chemical bonds (n.) C2 Proficiency Technical Sciencethe breaking of a chemical bond between atoms.
the cleavage of a covalent bond, resulting in the formation of two separate fragments.
ExampleThe splitting of water molecules produces hydrogen and oxygen.
ExampleThe researchers focused on the catalytic splitting of carbon-hydrogen bonds to develop more efficient synthetic pathways for organic compounds.