divid-, divis-

Anything that has a particular use; such as, a tool, an object, or a plan, all of which are used to accomplish an objective or some purpose: Mark used his computer as a device for compiling his e-book.

The rescuers were using a special device to find people who were trapped in the collapsed building.

Lina's cool manner is her device to avoid having to talk to her colleagues at work.

To cleverly develop a plan or a system to succeed in doing something: Mr. Smith was devising vocabulary games that his students could play in his English class and make their learning more interesting.

A person who develops or invents complex procedures or systems to successfully complete objectives: Hugo was a deviser of training programs for the new employees in his company.

1. A line of hills or mountains from which water runs into other rivers or oceans: Jill and Jim spent part of their summer vacation visiting the continental divide that was formed by the Rocky Mountains in the United States extending from Alaska to Mexico.
2. A separation of people into two or more groups: The political conflicts have resulted in a growing divide between the conservative and the liberal coalitions of the country.

1. To separate or to split something into two or more parts or groups: Mike's father divided his property evenly among his children as stated in his will.

Sara divided the pie uniformly into ten pieces for her family.

Mrs. Thomas divided her class up into six teams to work on the class assignment.

2. To share or to give something, usually in equal amounts: Before the meal, the two friends agreed to divide the cost justly between them just as they had divided their work equally.
3. To use different amounts of something for different purposes or activities: Monroe divides his time between his apartment in the city and visiting his son in the country.
4. To cause something to be separated or away from something else: The neighbors have a tall fence that divides their properties.
5. To keep people away from each other when they have disagreements or can't get along: The nation was divided by racial conflicts.
6. To calculate how many times a number contains another number: If John divides 8 by 2, the result equals 4.

Translation: "Divide and rule."

1. A reference to the policy of stirring up dissension and rivalries within the ranks of one's enemies, as Caesar did in Gaul and elsewhere.

2. This ancient political maxim, adopted by Machiavelli, is also given as Divide ut regnes and as Divide ut imperes, all of which mean "divide [the opposition] in order to rule" or "divide and conquer".

1. A reference to being in disagreement regarding opposing opinions: The abortion issue has created a deeply divided country.

2. Relating to two or more people or things instead of to just one person or something: Sometimes Audy feels as if she is only getting her mother's divided attention instead of her undivided attention.

1. Pertaining to being separated into parts or pieces: Conjugating verbs is a way of dividedly indicating the various tenses, etc. of individual words.
2. Referring to disagreements or disunity: Phil and Pamela had dividedly different opinions about the article that was presented in the newspaper.

A statement presenting different opinions, perspectives, etc.: The dividedness between the construction company and the apartment owner regarding the cost of the renovations turned into a legal conflict.

1. An unexpected bonus as the result of a personal action: The discount coupon included a dividend which Janice received for a free cup of coffee with her bagel.
2. A payment due to individuals who have invested in a successful financial undertaking: The dividend produced by the funding company pleased those who had committed their savings.

Something or someone that keeps one side of something apart from another side: The antique Chinese room divider was beautifully inlaid with mother-of-pearls.

The quality of being separated into individual parts, typically of equal size or value: The divisibility of the plum pie was compromised because Jack had already taken a piece before it was to be distributed.

Descriptive of something that can be partitioned into sections: The real estate agent was offering a piece of land that could be divisible into four lots for houses.

Describing anything that can be processed into different parts or pieces: Mona used a special slicing device to divisibly calculate the portions of the loaf of home-made bread so the slices would be closer to the same sizes.

1. Anything that functions as a separation into parts or sections: A hedge was used as a division between the properties of the two neighbors.
2. A procedure that is used in mathematics to find out how often a number is in another numerical quantity: First the students learned to multiply numbers, then they were taught the skills of the division of such symbols as, 9 by 3 = 3.
3. A group of people who participate in a specialized profession of a large organization: Karl was a reporter in the news division of the TV station.
4. A special military organization: An army division consists of five brigades.
5. A team of people who are nearly the same age, stature, gender, etc. who compete in sports against each other: The soccer players from one division of the country won the final game in the series by one point over those in the other division.
6. A composition of people in different communities, countries, etc., who do not have the same beliefs or ways of living which separates them from each other: There have been serious divisions between the government and the rebels which have resulted in many deaths and so much destruction that thousands of people have been forced to flee into other countries in order to survive.

The division within the church between those who wanted a professional choir and those who wanted a volunteer choir was causing conflicts that disturbed the other members of the congregation.