trifurcate

[ trahy-fur-keyt, trahy-fer-keyt; adjective also trahy-fur-kit, trahy-fer- ]

verb (used without object),tri·fur·cat·ed, tri·fur·cat·ing.
  1. to divide into three forks or branches.

adjective
  1. Also tri·fur·cat·ed. divided into three forks or branches.

Origin of trifurcate

1
First recorded in 1650–60; see origin at tri-, furcate

Other words from trifurcate

  • tri·fur·ca·tion, noun

Words Nearby trifurcate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use trifurcate in a sentence

  • There are two dorsal fins, slightly connected; the caudal fin is double concave or trifurcate.

    Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others | James Alexander Henshall

British Dictionary definitions for trifurcate

trifurcate

trifurcated

/ (ˈtraɪfɜːkɪt, -ˌkeɪt) /


adjective
  1. having three branches or forks

Origin of trifurcate

1
from Latin trifurcus, from tri- + furca a fork

Derived forms of trifurcate

  • trifurcation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012