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

Example Sentences

It’s bisected by La Cienega Boulevard, a thoroughfare that carries six lanes of high-speed traffic through the gritty landscape of the oil field, which feels like a relic of old L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

For example, “Pinky could conclude only that the strength of the floor diaphragm where the trench headers bisected the slab was inadequate.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The commuters in “Le Métro” hark back to his early streetcar scenes but now there’s an air of mystery to the straphangers, with the central figure’s face obscured and bisected by a subway pole.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nájera said traffic is the primary threat to Southern California mountain lions, whose habitat has been fragmented and bisected by roads and highways.

From Los Angeles Times

The library is meant to be noisy: It’s a lounge-like area with no walls or doors that is bisected by the hallway that traverses the building.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cut across