Partings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions or acts of saying goodbye when leaving someone ; places or ways where something is divided or separated
2. The acts of parting or bidding farewell to others ; points or lines where things come apart or are split
3. Instances of saying goodbye at the end of meetings or events ; separations or breaks between parts or sections

Etymology: "Partings" is the plural of "parting," which is built from "part" plus the suffix "-ing." The base word "part" goes back to Latin "pars" (genitive "partis"), meaning a piece or share, and it reached English through Old French. The suffix turns the action or result into a noun, so "parting" first names the act of dividing or separating things, and from there the sense of leaving someone grew naturally: a parting of ways is the point where separated paths diverge. The plural form picks up both senses of the noun. Its meanings range from the farewells people exchange at a station or doorway to literal divisions, such as the line running through someone's hair, which is also called a parting. Each use keeps the same root idea of something being split off from something else.

Synonyms: separations, divisions, departures, breaks, farewells

Antonyms: unions, meetings, gatherings, connections, reunions