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bifurcate

[ verb, adjective bahy-fer-keyt, bahy-fur-keyt; adjective bahy-fer-kit, bahy-fur- ]
/ verb, adjective ˈbaɪ fərˌkeɪt, baɪˈfɜr keɪt; adjective ˈbaɪ fər kɪt, baɪˈfɜr- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bifurcate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object), bi·fur·cat·ed, bi·fur·cat·ing.

to divide or fork into two branches.

adjective

divided into two branches.

RELATED WORDS

fork, ramify, divide, separate, bisect, diverge, branch, split, furcate

Nearby words

  1. biforked,
  2. biform,
  3. bifrost,
  4. bifter,
  5. bifunctional,
  6. bifurcation,
  7. big,
  8. big and bold,
  9. big apple,
  10. big apple, the

Origin of bifurcate

1605–15; < Medieval Latin bifurcātus, past participle of bifurcāre (bi- bi-1 + furc(a) fork + -ātus -ate1)
Related formsbi·fur·cate·ly [bahy-fer-keyt-lee; bahy-fur-keyt-lee, -kit-] /ˌbaɪ fərˈkeɪt li; baɪˈfɜr keɪt li, -kɪt-/, adverbbi·fur·ca·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bifurcate

British Dictionary definitions for bifurcate

bifurcate

verb (ˈbaɪfəˌkeɪt)

to fork or divide into two parts or branches

adjective (ɪbaɪˈfəˌkeɪt, -kɪt)

forked or divided into two sections or branches
Derived Formsbifurcation, noun

Word Origin for bifurcate

C17: from Medieval Latin bifurcātus, from Latin bifurcus, from bi- 1 + furca fork
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

Medicine definitions for bifurcate

bifurcate

[ bī′fər-kāt′, bī-fûr′- ]

v.

To divide into two parts or branches.

adj.

Forked or divided into two parts or branches.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for bifurcate

bifurcate

[ bī′fər-kāt′, bī-fûr′- ]

Forked or divided into two parts or branches, as the Y-shaped styles of certain flowers or the tongues of snakes.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.