splitting

Adjective

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (1)

resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree“the tree split with a great ripping sound”“heard a rending roar as the crowd surged forward”Synonyms: rending ripping

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Split \Split\ (spl[i^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Split (Splitted, R.); p. pr. & vb. n. Splitting.] [Probably of Scand. or Low German origin; cf. Dan. splitte, LG. splitten, OD. splitten, spletten, D. splijten, G. spleissen, MHG. spl[imac]zen. Cf. Splice, Splint, Splinter.]

1.To divide lengthwise; to separate from end to end, esp. by force; to divide in the direction of the grain or layers; to rive; to cleave; as, to split a piece of timber or a board; to split a gem; to split a sheepskin. [1913 Webster]

Cold winter split the rocks in twain.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

2.To burst; to rupture; to rend; to tear asunder. [1913 Webster]

A huge vessel of exceeding hard marble split asunder by congealed water.— Boyle.[1913 Webster]

3.To divide or break up into parts or divisions, as by discord; to separate into parts or parties, as a political party; to disunite. [Colloq.] --South. [1913 Webster]

4.(Chem.) To divide or separate into components; -- often used with up; as, to split up sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid. [1913 Webster]

To split hairs, to make distinctions of useless nicety. [1913 Webster]