moiety

American  

[moi-i-tee] / ˈmɔɪ ɪ ti /

noun

• moieties
  plural

1. a half.

2. an indefinite portion, part, or share.

3. Anthropology. one of two units into which a tribe or community is divided on the basis of unilineal descent.

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moiety British  

/ ˈmɔɪɪtɪ /

noun

1. a half

2. one of two parts or divisions of something

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• moieties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of moiety

1400–50; late Middle English moite < Middle French < Latin medietāt- (stem of medietās ) the middle, equivalent to medi ( us ) mid + -etāt-, variant, after vowels, of -itāt- -ity

Explanation

A moiety is one of two equal parts. If you cut a sandwich in half, you can have one moiety for lunch and give the other moiety to a pigeon. One moiety plus one moiety equals a whole. Moiety is a synonym for the noun half; a semicircle or your better half can be referred to as a moiety. In anthropology, moiety is used to describe one of two distinct groups of a tribe. Moiety can also mean "a part" in general, as Shakespeare used it in Antony and Cleopatra: "The death of Antony / Is not a single doom; in the name lay / A moiety of the world."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

moiety moieties

With a molecular formula of C17H24O7, the compound was found to feature a distinctive ribose moiety, identified as α-ribofuranoside through stereochemical analysis.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2024

Garfield George, head of Deishú Hít, or the End of the Beaver Trail House, Raven moiety, Deisheetaan clan of Angoon, in Alaska, was one of the Tlingit visitors at that moment of discovery.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2022

The first category, also known as moiety acts, gives compensation to those providing information to prosecutors but leaves control of litigation in the hands of the government.

From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2022

Alkenes are much more reactive than alkanes because the moiety is a reactive functional group.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Fugacious, tourbillion, moiety, repugn, sacrosanct, censure, morass, El Dorado, and turpitude.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

"We hypothesized that the introduction of side interacting moieties with less directionality would enhance the stacking between norcorrole units," explains Prof. Maeda.

From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024

The high reactive plasma chemical moieties provide enough energy that could be compensated by high temperature.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 19, 2024

The C–C–N axis of the CH3CN moieties was constrained to be linear and the C–C and C–N distances were fixed to standard values.

From Nature ● Mar. 28, 2017

A T cell- independent antigen usually is in the form of repeated carbohydrate moieties found on the cell walls of bacteria.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Favoring bill for the settlement of claims of officers and crews of the Navy to certain moieties.

From United States Government Publications, v. 8 Jan-Jun 1892 A Monthly Catalog by Compiled