separate
Noun · Verb · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Verb (13)separates, separated, separating
- act as a barrier between; stand between“The mountain range divides the two countries”Synonyms: divideMore general work, act
- force, take, or pull apart“He separated the fighting children”“Moses parted the Red Sea”Synonyms: disunitedividepartMore general move, displaceMore specific cut, bore, tear, sever, sequester, disconnect, polarize, disjoint, gin, break +3 moreCauses divide, part
- mark as different“We distinguish several kinds of maple”Synonyms: distinguishdifferentiatesecernsecernateseveralizeseveralisetelltell apartMore general identify, placeMore specific contrast, discriminate, label, demarcate, stratify, sex, decouple, individualize, know, contradistinguish +2 moreInvolves compare
- separate into parts or portions“divide the cake into three equal parts”“The British carved up the Ottoman Empire after World War I”Synonyms: dividesplitsplit updissevercarve upMore general change integrityMore specific Balkanize, sliver, parcel, subdivide, sectionalize, canton, paragraph, unitize, triangulate, lot +1 more
- divide into components or constituents“Separate the wheat from the chaff”More general change integrityMore specific filter, dialyse, decompose, fractionate, sift, avulse, wash, disperse, peptize, macerate +2 more
- arrange or order by classes or categories“How would you classify these pottery shards — are they prehistoric?”Synonyms: classifyclasssortassortsort outMore general categorize, categoriseMore specific refer, group, catalogue, count, reclassify, pigeonhole, dichotomize, grade, size, unitize +1 moreInvolves compare
- make a division or separationSynonyms: divide
- discontinue an association or relation; go different ways“The business partners broke over a tax question”“The couple separated after 25 years of marriage”“My friend and I split up”Synonyms: partsplit upsplitbreakbreak up
- go one's own way; move apart“The friends separated after the party”Synonyms: partsplit
- become separated into pieces or fragments“The figurine broke”“The freshly baked loaf fell apart”Synonyms: breaksplit upfall apartcome apart
- treat differently on the basis of sex or raceSynonyms: discriminatesingle out
- move or break apart“The two pieces that we had glued separated”Synonyms: dividepart
- divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork“The road forks”Synonyms: branchramifyforkfurcate
Adjective (4)
- independent; not united or joint“a problem consisting of two separate issues”“they went their separate ways”“formed a separate church”Opposite jointSimilar detached, disjunct, discrete, isolable, asunder, apart, unaccompanied, disjointRelates to separationSee also individual, independent, segregated, other, unshared, divided
- standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything“a freestanding bell tower”“a house with a separate garage”Synonyms: freestandingOpposite attachedSimilar detached
- separated according to race, sex, class, or religion“separate but equal”“girls and boys in separate classes”Opposite integratedSimilar segregated, unintegrated
- have the connection undone; having become separateSynonyms: disjoinedOpposite connectedSimilar unconnected
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Verb to disunite, disconnect
- Spanish
- separar
- French
- séparer
- German
- trennen
- Italian
- separare
- Portuguese
- separar
- Turkish
- ayırmak
- Russian
- отделя́ть otdeljátʹ
- Arabic
- فَصَلَ faṣala
- Chinese
- 分开 fēnkāi
- Japanese
- 切り離す kirihanasu
20 more languages
- Dutch
- scheiden
- Polish
- oddzielać
- Swedish
- avskilja
- Greek
- χωρίζω chorízo
- Indonesian
- memisahkan
- Hungarian
- szeparál
- Portuguese (PT)
- separar
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 分開 fēnkāi
- Albanian
- ndaj
- Catalan
- separar
- Czech
- oddělit
- Danish
- adskille
- Finnish
- erottaa
- Latvian
- atdalīt
- Malagasy
- mampisaraka
- Norwegian
- skille
- Romanian
- despărți
- Scottish Gaelic
- eadar-dhealaich
- Slovenian
- ločiti
- Welsh
- gwahanu
Adjective apart from
- Spanish
- separado
- German
- separat
- Italian
- separato
- Portuguese
- separado
- Turkish
- ayrı
- Russian
- отде́льный otdélʹnyj
- Arabic
- مُنْفَصِل munfaṣil
- Dutch
- afzonderlijk
- Polish
- oddzielny
- Greek
- ξεχωριστός xechoristós
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: L. separatus, p. p. of separare to separate; pfref. se- aside + parare to make ready, prepare. See Parade, and cf. Sever.
1. To disunite; to divide; to disconnect; to sever; to part in any manner.
From the fine gold I separate the alloy.— John Dryden
Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me.— Gen. xiii. 9.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?— Rom. viii. 35.
2. To come between; to keep apart by occupying the space between; to lie between; as, the Mediterranean Sea separates Europe and Africa.
3. To set apart; to select from among others, as for a special use or service.
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called thaem.— Acts xiii. 2.
Separated flowers Botany, flowers which have stamens and pistils in separate flowers; diclinous flowers. Asa Gray
To part; to become disunited; to be disconnected; to withdraw from one another; as, the family separated.
Origin: L. separatus, p. p.
1. Divided from another or others; disjoined; disconnected; separated; — said of things once connected.
Him that was separate from his brethren.— Gen. xlix. 26.
2. Unconnected; not united or associated; distinct; — said of things that have not been connected.
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinnere.— Heb. vii. 26.
3. Disunited from the body; disembodied; as, a separate spirit; the separate state of souls.
Separate estate Law, an estate limited to a married woman independent of her husband. — Separate maintenance Law, an allowance made to a wife by her husband under deed of separation.
— Sep′wb-a1′>′a·rate·ly, adverb — Sep′wb-a1′>′a·rate·ness, noun
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54