Bisect

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /baɪˈsɛkt/

Definitions

1. To divide into two equal parts or to cut across something at an angle
2. To split an object into two equal halves or to cross a figure at a specific angle
3. To divide something into two equal sections or to intersect a line or shape at a particular angle

Etymology: "Bisect" is a plain compound: the prefix "bi-", meaning two, joined to Latin "secare", "to cut." The result is a literal description of the action, cutting something in two, and the word still carries that original sense today. The Latin verb "secare" is also the root of many English words built on the idea of cutting, such as "section," "dissect," and "scissors" (via Latin "cisoria," a related form). Because "secare" contributes the cutting sense, "bisect" reads almost like a description of its own meaning: the parts of the word tell you what the thing does. In mathematics, the word's meaning stretches from cutting an object to dividing a line or angle exactly in half, and to intersecting a line or shape at a given angle. The same physical act of cutting in two has been extended to abstract geometry without any change in its core idea.

Synonyms: divide, split, cut, separate, partition

Antonyms: unite, combine, merge, join, connect