bisect

American  

[bahy-sekt, bahy-sekt, bahy-sekt] / baɪˈsɛkt, ˈbaɪ sɛkt, ˈbaɪ sɛkt /

verb (used with object)

1. to cut or divide into two equal or nearly equal parts.

2. Geometry. to cut or divide into two equal parts.

   to bisect an angle.

3. to intersect or cross.

   the spot where the railroad tracks bisect the highway.

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verb (used without object)

1. to split into two, as a road; fork.

   There's a charming old inn just before the road bisects.

noun

1. Also called split.  Philately. a portion of a stamp, usually half, used for payment of a proportionate amount of the face value of the whole stamp.

bisect British  

/ baɪˈsɛkt, baɪˈsɛkʃən /

verb

1. (tr) maths to divide into two equal parts

2. to cut or split into two

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bisect Scientific  

/ bī′sĕkt′,bī-sĕkt′ /

1. To cut or divide into two parts, especially two equal parts.

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Other Word Forms

• bisection noun
• bisectional adjective
• bisectionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of bisect

1640–50; bi- ¹ + -sect < Latin sectus, past participle of secāre to cut, sever; section

Explanation

When you cut something in half or in two pieces, you bisect it. You can bisect a cupcake so that you and a friend get equal pieces. In Latin, bi means "two" and secare means "to cut." That's why the verb bisect means "divide into two equal pieces." You might bisect your garden, planting half with vegetables and half with flowers, or tape a line on your bedroom floor to bisect the space into two sides — yours and your horrible sister's. In geometry, the word bisect means the same thing, to split something into equal halves.

Example Sentences

When these acoels reproduce asexually, they first bisect themselves.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

"For your safety, take this next opportunity to move south beyond Wadi Gaza," the military announced, referring to the wetlands that bisect the narrow, coastal territory.

From Reuters • Nov. 7, 2023

April 8, 2024 will be an unforgettable day for many people in North America, as the shadow of a total solar eclipse will bisect the continent like a black marker line.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2023

Dotted white lines run across the painting, and, on the left, bisect a circle encompassing 80 percent of the frame.

From New York Times • Jan. 21, 2021

According to the map this canal should bisect the Wellteco Canal, which will turn south and flow all the way to the ocean.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• cut across