cleavage

[ klee-vij ]

/ ˈkli vɪdʒ /

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See synonyms for cleavage on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of cleaving or splitting.

the state of being cleft.

the area between a woman's breasts, especially when revealed by a low-cut neckline.

a critical division in opinion, beliefs, interests, etc., as leading to opposition between two groups: a growing cleavage between the Conservative and Liberal wings of the party.

the tendency of crystals, certain minerals, rocks, etc., to break in preferred directions so as to yield more or less smooth surfaces (cleavage planes ).

Embryology. the total or partial division of the egg into smaller cells or blastomeres.

Also called scission. Chemistry. the breaking down of a molecule or compound into simpler structures.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cleavage

First recorded in 1810–20; cleave² + -age

Words nearby cleavage

clearwing, clear with, Cleary, cleat, cleavable, cleavage, cleave, cleaver, cleavers, Cleburne, cleck

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cleavage in a sentence

Speculation that the presence of the furin cleavage site is a signature of human genetic manipulation has made it one of the most scrutinized aspects of the genome.
They called it a conspiracy theory. But Alina Chan tweeted life into the idea that the virus came from a lab.|Antonio Regalado|June 25, 2021|MIT Technology Review
After the virus binds to ACE2, the next step is to fuse with the cell, a process that begins when enzymes from the host cell cut the spike at two different sites, a process known as cleavage.
What makes the Delta covid-19 variant more infectious?|Cassandra Willyard|June 10, 2021|MIT Technology Review
One of the mutations present in Delta actually occurs in one of these cleavage sites, and a new study that has not yet been peer reviewed shows that this mutation does enhance cleavage.
What makes the Delta covid-19 variant more infectious?|Cassandra Willyard|June 10, 2021|MIT Technology Review
They undergo the early stages of cleavage, in which one cell becomes two, two become four, four become eight, and so on.
Solving mysteries of reproduction helped make parenthood possible for millions|Robin Marantz Henig|June 9, 2021|Science News

Two days after putting Claudy’s five embryos in the incubator, only one is still undergoing cleavage.
Solving mysteries of reproduction helped make parenthood possible for millions|Robin Marantz Henig|June 9, 2021|Science News
She wore a sea-green, V-necked frock with a modest hint of cleavage.
‘Outnumbered’: The Making of a Fox News Hit|Lloyd Grove|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The camera lingers enough for us to glimpse her cleavage and a bit of her black bra.
‘Stalker’ Is an Awful Warning Against the Evils of Misogyny|Sujay Kumar|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sensible, cleavage-free Amanda was responded to far more positively.
Ladies Hate Other Ladies’ Sexy Selfies|Charlotte Lytton|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are the enthusiastic fans, as well as girls in mini skirts with abundant cleavage promoting the latest TV series.
Too Many Spider-Men, Too Little Time: Get Ready for Comic-Con|Annaliza Savage|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Try standing up to officialdom with that amount of cleavage brandished at you.
Ukraine’s Pro-Putin Rebels Prepare for a Last Stand|David Patrikarakos|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Beyond the Novall Junior group we cannot establish distinct lines of cleavage.
The Fatal Dowry|Philip Massinger
The cleavage in policy between the inspectorate and the president did not at first manifest itself.
English Poor Law Policy|Sidney Webb
But we have not yet done with the question of social strata and inward cleavage.
The New Society|Walther Rathenau
Far otherwise was it with the impending struggle of the Reformation: there the cleavage of sides followed very different lines.
The Age of Erasmus|P. S. Allen
This was the thin edge of the wedge by which the cleavage from Rome and the Pope was subsequently effected.
Breaking with the Past|Francis Aidan Gasquet

British Dictionary definitions for cleavage

cleavage

/ (ˈkliːvɪdʒ) /

noun

informal the separation between a woman's breasts, esp as revealed by a low-cut dress

a division or split

(of crystals) the act of splitting or the tendency to split along definite planes so as to yield smooth surfaces

Also called: segmentation embryol (in animals) the repeated division of a fertilized ovum into a solid ball of cells (a morula), which later becomes hollow (a blastula)

the breaking of a chemical bond in a molecule to give smaller molecules or radicals

geology the natural splitting of certain rocks, or minerals such as slates, or micas along the planes of weakness

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

Scientific definitions for cleavage

cleavage

[ klē′vĭj ]

Geology The breaking of certain minerals along specific planes, making smooth surfaces. These surfaces are parallel to the faces of the molecular crystals that make up the minerals. A mineral that exhibits cleavage breaks into smooth pieces with the same pattern of parallel surfaces regardless of how many times it is broken. Some minerals, like quartz, do not have a cleavage and break into uneven pieces with rough surfaces.

Biology

The series of mitotic cell divisions by which a single fertilized egg cell becomes a many-celled blastula. Each division produces cells half the size of the parent cell.
Any of the single cell divisions in such a series.

Cultural definitions for cleavage

cleavage

The process by which an animal cell divides into two daughter cells after mitosis. In an embryo, this process is repeated many times and leads to the formation of the blastula.

cleavage

Origin of cleavage

Words nearby cleavage

Words related to cleavage

How to use cleavage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cleavage

Scientific definitions for cleavage

Cultural definitions for cleavage