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• split
  split

  verb (used with object)

  to divide or separate from end to end or into layers.
• Split
  Split

  noun

  a seaport in S Croatia, on the Adriatic: Roman ruins.

split

¹ American  

[split] / splɪt /

verb (used with object)

• splits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• split,
  past participle,  past
• splitting
  present participle

1. to divide or separate from end to end or into layers.

   to split a log in two.

2. to separate by cutting, chopping, etc., usually lengthwise.

   to split a piece from a block.

3. to tear or break apart; rend or burst.

   The wind split the sail.

4. to divide into distinct parts or portions (often followed byup ).

   We split up the frosting into separate bowls and made each one a different color.

5. to separate (a part) by such division.

6. to divide (persons) into different groups, factions, parties, etc., as by discord.

   to split a political party.

7. to separate (a group, family, etc.) by such division.

8. to cast (a ballot or vote) for candidates of more than one political party.

9. to divide between two or more persons, groups, etc.; share.

   We split a bottle of wine.

10. to separate into parts by interposing something.

    to split an infinitive.

11. Physics, Chemistry. to divide (molecules or atoms) by cleavage into smaller parts.

12. to issue additional shares of (stock) to existing stockholders without charging them, thereby dividing their interest into a larger number of shares and reducing the price per share.

13. Slang. to leave; depart from.

    Let's split this scene.

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verb (used without object)

• splits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• split,
  past participle,  past
• splitting
  present participle

1. to divide, break, or part lengthwise.

   The board split in half.

2. to part, divide, or separate in any way (often followed byup ).

   The group of children split up into two teams. We'll split up here and meet later.

3. to break asunder, as a ship by striking on a rock.

4. to become separated, as a piece or part from a whole.

5. to part or separate, as through disagreement; sever relations.

   They split up after a year of marriage. He split with the company after a policy dispute.

6. to divide or share something with another or others; apportion.

7. Slang. to leave; depart.

noun

• splits
  plural

1. the act of splitting.

2. a crack, tear, or fissure caused by splitting.

3. a piece or part separated by or as by splitting.

4. a breach or rupture, as between persons, in a party or organization, etc.

5. a faction, party, etc., formed by a rupture or schism.

6. a banana split.

7. especially British, nip.  a bottle for wine or, sometimes, another beverage, containing from 6 to 6½ ounces (170 to 184 grams).

8. a bottle, as of soda, liquor, etc., which is half the usual size.

9. a strip split from an osier, used in basketmaking.

10. Masonry. a brick of normal length and breadth but of half normal thickness, used to give level support to a course of bricks laid over one not level.

11. Often splits the feat of separating the legs while sinking to the floor, until they extend at right angles to the body, as in stage performances or gymnastics.

12. the amount of time it takes to complete a portion of a race, as a leg of a relay race, a lap of a track, half of a marathon, etc..

    Our anchor faded over the last 50 meters of his split, and we missed the podium by six-tenths of a second.

13. Bowling. an arrangement of the pins remaining after the first bowl in two separated groups, so that a spare is difficult.

14. Philately. bisect.

15. one of the layers of leather into which a skin is cut.

16. stock split.

adjective

1. having been split; parted lengthwise; cleft.

2. disunited; divided.

   a split opinion.

3. (of a stock quotation) given in sixteenths instead of eighths of a point.

4. (of a stock) having undergone a split.

idioms

1. split hairs. hair.

2. split the difference. difference.

Split ² American  

[split] / splɪt /

noun

1. a seaport in S Croatia, on the Adriatic: Roman ruins.

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split ¹ British  

/ splɪt /

verb

1. to break or cause to break, esp forcibly, by cleaving into separate pieces, often into two roughly equal pieces

   to split a brick

2. to separate or be separated from a whole

   he split a piece of wood from the block

3. to separate or be separated into factions, usually through discord

4. (often foll by up) to separate or cause to separate through a disagreement

5. to divide or be divided among two or more persons

   split up the pie among the three of us

6. slang to depart; leave

   let's split

   we split the scene

7. (tr) to separate (something) into its components by interposing something else

   to split a word with hyphens

8. slang to betray the trust, plans, etc (of); inform

   he split on me to the cops

9. (tr) politics to mark (a ballot, etc) so as to vote for the candidates of more than one party

   he split the ticket

10. (tr) to separate (an animal hide or skin) into layers

11. to make a fine but needless distinction

12. to laugh very heartily

13. 1. to settle a dispute by effecting a compromise in which both sides give way to the same extent

    2. to divide a remainder equally

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noun

1. the act or process of splitting

2. a gap or rift caused or a piece removed by the process of splitting

3. a breach or schism in a group or the faction resulting from such a breach

4. a dessert of sliced fruit and ice cream, covered with whipped cream, nuts, etc

   banana split

5. See Devonshire split

6. 1. a separated layer of an animal hide or skin other than the outer layer

   2. leather made from such a layer

7. tenpin bowling a formation of the pins after the first bowl in which there is a large gap between two pins or groups of pins

8. informal an arrangement or process of dividing up loot or money

adjective

1. having been split; divided

   split logs

2. having a split or splits

   hair with split ends

Split ² British  

/ split /

noun

1. Italian name: Spalato.  a port and resort in W Croatia on the Adriatic: remains of the palace of Diocletian (295–305). Pop: 188 000 (2005 est)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• splitter
  noun
• presplit
  adjective
• splittable
  adjective
• unsplit
  adjective
• unsplittable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• splits
  plural

Participles

• splitting
  present
• split
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• split
  simple
• splits
  simple
• have split
  perfect
• has split
  perfect
• am splitting
  progressive
• are splitting
  progressive
• is splitting
  progressive
• have been splitting
  perfect progressive
• has been splitting
  perfect progressive

Past

• split
  simple
• had split
  perfect
• was splitting
  progressive
• were splitting
  progressive
• had been splitting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will split
  simple
• will have split
  perfect
• will be splitting
  progressive
• will have been splitting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of split

First recorded in 1570–80; 1950–55 split for def. 13; from Dutch splitten; akin to splijten, German spleissen “to split”

Explanation

If you and your boyfriend split, you are no longer together. If your pants split, they come open at the seam. If both of these happen in the same day, split! (Get out of here!) Split means to come apart or rip in two. It can be used as a verb "let's split the apple in two" or as a noun "be careful to step over the split in the earth left by the quake." It implies some violence. When firemen split open your door, they need an axe to do it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

split Split splits splitting

Mexico and Peru announced the restoration of diplomatic ties on Friday, following a months-long split over the asylum bid of a former Peruvian official accused of coup plotting.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

His 2025 tax document and his account portal in May had listed 500 shares, just before SpaceX underwent a 5-1 stock split, resulting, by Rupireddy’s account, in 2,500 shares at the time of the IPO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

A documentary following the band's 2025 reunion tour, featuring their first interviews together since before they split in 2009, will release in September.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

He split acrimoniously from Tony Pontius, the long-time manager of his record label BGP, because of Pontius’ refusal to release the song.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

“You could go through a time warp, and stay in the other time for thirty years, and then return just a split second after you left.”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Split the lobsters lengthwise with a sharp, heavy knife, brush them with butter and grill them once your guests have arrived, since they cook very quickly.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Then she started a production company that did ‘Spooks’ and then another that did ‘River’ and ‘The Split.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

Part 1: “Travel. Down your mimosas gal we’re flying easyJet’s finest aircraft to Split, Croatia.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Spurs was Tudor's 11th club as a coach after starting his career at Hajduk Split in Croatia in 2013.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026

“How? We don’t have any money. What could we even do? Split a hot dog?”

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

The four girls, who were delivered via caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days on 14 July, were monozygotic quadruplets - where a single fertilised egg splits into four embryos.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Bespoke splits the robotics theme into two baskets; one for firms with actual robotics or automation products as lines of business, and alternatively picks-and-shovels companies who produce critical components or systems.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Comcast splits from NBCUniversal, World Cup ratings are complicated,and Trump reveals $1.4 billion in crypto earnings.

From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026

He splits his time between Massachusetts and Washington, has an appointment at Harvard and is working on a memoir that is due out next spring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The tray of tea in her hands rattles and then falls, and when the teapot hits the ground, it splits in half.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Of course, so much of what’s otherwise known points a finger directly back at Taylor Farms, false-positive atom splitting notwithstanding, and there’s only so much the company can do to deflect.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

It’s really no wonder that Neill would go on to play characters who echoed Mark’s descent into madness, splitting off into equally extraordinary works of spine-tingling creature feature dread.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

If you think his millennial lingo is a sign that he lacks judgment in other areas, you can tell him that “you guyses” are splitting up with him.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

And Comcast recently said it was splitting up its media and connectivity businesses to give each company more flexibility to grow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Wash was splitting wood behind his house when he saw a flash of yellow in the woods.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• break
• disband
• divide
• isolate
• open
• rip
• rive
• separate
• sever
• splinter
• tear