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bifurcate

[ verb, adjective bahy-fer-keyt, bahy-fur-keyt; adjective also bahy-fer-kit, bahy-fur- ]
/ verb, adjective ˈbaɪ fərˌkeɪt, baɪˈfɜr keɪt; adjective also ˈbaɪ fər kɪt, baɪˈfɜr- /
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See synonyms for: bifurcate / bifurcated / bifurcation 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.
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Origin of bifurcate

1605–15; <Medieval Latin bifurcātus, past participle of bifurcāre (bi-bi-1 + furc(a) fork + -ātus-ate1)

OTHER WORDS FROM bifurcate

bi·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. 2022

Words related to bifurcate

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

How to use bifurcate in a sentence

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 forms of bifurcate

bifurcation, 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

Medical 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.

Scientific 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.
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