Divide the living child in two. --1 Kings iii.
25.
2. To cause to be separate; to keep apart by a partition, or
by an imaginary line or limit; as, a wall divides two
houses; a stream divides the towns.
Let it divide the waters from the waters. --Gen. i.
6.
3. To make partition of among a number; to apportion, as
profits of stock among proprietors; to give in shares; to
distribute; to mete out; to share.
True justice unto people to divide. --Spenser.
Ye shall divide the land by lot. --Num. xxxiii.
54.
4. To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or
hostile; to set at variance.
If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom
can not stand. --Mark iii.
24.
Every family became now divided within itself.
--Prescott.
5. To separate into two parts, in order to ascertain the
votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a
legislative house upon a question.
6. (Math.) To subject to arithmetical division.
7. (Logic) To separate into species; -- said of a genus or
generic term.
8. (Mech.) To mark divisions on; to graduate; as, to divide a
sextant.
9. (Music) To play or sing in a florid style, or with
variations. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Syn: To sever; dissever; sunder; cleave; disjoin; disunite;
detach; disconnect; part; distribute; share.
The Indo-Germanic family divides into three groups.
--J. Peile.
2. To cause separation; to disunite.
A gulf, a strait, the sea intervening between
islands, divide less than the matted forest.
--Bancroft.
3. To break friendship; to fall out. --Shak.
4. To have a share; to partake. --Shak.
5. To vote, as in the British Parliament, by the members
separating themselves into two parties (as on opposite
sides of the hall or in opposite lobbies), that is, the
ayes dividing from the noes.
The emperors sat, voted, and divided with their
equals. --Gibbon.