di‧vide 1 S2 W2 / dəvaɪd, dɪvaɪd / 动词

1 separate [不及物和及物动词] if something divides, or if you divide it, it separates into two or more parts

divide something into something

Scientists traditionally divide the oceans into zones.

The book is divided into six sections.

divide into

Here, the river divides into three channels.

2 keep separate ( also divide off ) [及物动词] to keep two areas separate from each other :

The Wall used to divide East and West Berlin.

divide something from something

Only a thin curtain divided her cabin from his.

3 share ( also divide up ) [及物动词] to separate something into parts and share them between people

divide something between/among somebody/something

The money will be divided equally among the charities.

4 spend time/energy [及物动词] if you divide your time, energy etc between different activities or places, you spend part of your time doing each activity or in each place

divide something between something/somebody

She divides her time between New York and Paris.

5 mathematics

a) [及物动词] to calculate how many times one number contains a smaller number → multiply

divide something by something

If you divide 21 by 3, you get 7.

‘What’s six divided by three?’ ‘Two’.

b) [不及物动词] to be contained exactly in a number one or more times

divide into

8 divides into 64.

6 disagree [及物动词] to make people disagree so that they form groups with different opinions :

The issue of cloning has sharply divided voters.

7 divide and rule/conquer to defeat or control people by making them argue with each other instead of opposing you

8 divided loyalties a feeling you have when two people you like have argued and you are not sure which person you should support :

Divorce is an agony of divided loyalties for children.

— divided 形容词 :

a deeply divided society

The committee was divided over the proposal.