parting
Americannoun
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the act of a person or thing that parts.
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a division or separation.
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a place of division or separation.
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a departure or leave-taking.
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something that serves to part or separate things.
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Mineralogy. a fracture of a crystal along a plane determined by twinning or pressure rather than along a cleavage plane.
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Metallurgy. parting line.
adjective
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given, happening, taken, done, etc., at parting.
a parting glance.
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of or relating to parting, leave-taking, departure, or death.
parting words.
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ending or taking leave.
the parting day.
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dividing or separating.
noun
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US, Canadian, and Austral equivalent: part. the line of scalp showing when sections of hair are combed in opposite directions
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the act of separating or the state of being separated
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a departure or leave-taking, esp one causing a final separation
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( as modifier )
a parting embrace
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a place or line of separation or division
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chem a division of a crystal along a plane that is not a cleavage plane
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a euphemism for death
adjective
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literary departing
the parting day
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serving to divide or separate
Etymology
Origin of parting
1250–1300; Middle English partyng (gerund). See part, -ing 1, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While she worked out each fraudster's true intentions before parting with any cash, she said: "I'll never, ever go on a dating website again. I just don't know where you're meant to meet genuine people."
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
“When you look at being able to acquire a player like this, these things don’t come up often,” McVay said, adding that parting ways with Verse was difficult.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Alfonsi’s parting words to the Columbia Journalism Review perfectly summarized the nightmare unfolding at CBS: “The arrogance, cruelty, and incompetence is stunning.”
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
Six Flags is also parting ways with Christian Dieckmann, its chief commercial officer, and Brian Nurse, its chief legal and compliance officer.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
“Would you consider parting with him for—let’s say, two thousand rupees?”
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
