Unmix

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To separate combined or blended substances into their original components
2. To undo the process of mixing by dividing elements that were previously combined
3. To reverse mixing by extracting and isolating the individual parts of a mixture

Etymology: "Unmix" is a plain formation: the reversing prefix "un-" attached to "mix." The prefix "un-" comes from Old English and was used to reverse or undo an action, as in "undo," "unbind," and "unlock." Adding it to "mix," which itself traces back through Middle English to Old English "miscian" and related Germanic forms, produces a verb meaning to take apart what has been blended. The construction follows the same pattern as many other English verbs that reverse a process, so the sense is transparent from its parts. Its meaning is essentially the opposite of "mix": where mixing combines substances, unmixing separates them back into their original components.

Synonyms: separate, dissociate

Antonyms: mix, combine