The meaning of Cleft

verb

Divide into two parts.

Usage examples:

A landscape of ploughland bisected by long straight roads

verb

To divide into two usually equal parts

Usage examples:

The new road would bisect a designated historic district., the bisector of an angle/segment

noun

An act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct.

Usage examples:

A breach of confidence

verb

Make a gap in and break through (a wall, barrier, or defence).

Usage examples:

The river breached its bank

verb

Separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain.

Usage examples:

The branch broke with a loud snap

noun

An interruption of continuity or uniformity.

Usage examples:

The magazine has been published without a break since 1950

noun

Former term for breaking cart.

noun

A deep fissure in the earth's surface.

Usage examples:

A chasm a mile long

noun

A deep opening in earth or rock

Usage examples:

The little bridge over that deep chasm looked very unsafe.

adjective

Past participle of cleave1.

verb

Split or sever (something), especially along a natural line or grain.

Usage examples:

The large axe his father used to cleave wood for the fire

adjective

Used to describe something, especially an animal's hoof, that is divided into two parts

Usage examples:

The devil was painted with horns and cloven hoofs.

noun

A line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking apart.

Usage examples:

A hairline crack down the middle of the glass

verb

Break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts.

Usage examples:

The ice all over the bog had cracked

adjective

Very good or skilful.

Usage examples:

He is a crack shot

noun

A small, narrow space or opening.

Usage examples:

Bugs and spiders conceal themselves in crannies of the bark

noun

A small, narrow opening in something solid

Usage examples:

There were small plants growing in every nook and cranny of the wall.

noun

A large bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on a celestial object, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite.

Usage examples:

The blast left a crater in the car park

verb

Form a crater in (the ground or a planet).

Usage examples:

Pilots returned to the airfields to crater the runways

proper noun

A small and faint southern constellation (the cup), between hydra and leo, said to represent the goblet of apollo.

noun

A narrow opening or fissure, especially in a rock or wall.

Usage examples:

Many creatures hide in crevices in the rock

noun

A deep crack or opening in a surface, esp. in rock

Usage examples:

He slipped on the mountain and landed in a crevice.

verb

Separate or be separated into parts.

Usage examples:

Consumer magazines can be divided into a number of categories

noun

A difference or disagreement between two groups, typically producing tension.

Usage examples:

There was still a profound cultural divide between the parties

verb

To separate into parts or groups, or to cause something to separate in such a way

Usage examples:

[ t ] divide the cake into six equal parts., [ i ] the votes divided equally for and against the pr…

adjective

Split into parts; separated.

Usage examples:

The deputy came back, carrying a divided metal plate and a cup

verb

Separate or be separated into parts.

Usage examples:

Consumer magazines can be divided into a number of categories

adjective

Split into two or more opposing groups who cannot agree

Usage examples:

The party is deeply divided over fundamental issues, such as immigration and the budget deficit., m…

noun

A long, narrow opening or line of breakage made by cracking or splitting, especially in rock or earth.

Usage examples:

The bacteria survive around vents or fissures in the deep ocean floor

verb

Split or crack (something) to form a long, narrow opening.

Usage examples:

The dry years had cracked and fissured the cliffs

noun

A deep crack, esp. one in rock or ice or in the ground

noun

The cracking or breaking of a hard object or material.

Usage examples:

Ground movements could cause fracture of the pipe

verb

Break or cause to break.

Usage examples:

The stone has fractured

verb

To crack or break something, esp. a bone

Usage examples:

[ t ] she fractured her skull in the accident., [ i ] this mineral fractures along straight lines.,…

noun

A long, narrow trench made in the ground by a plough, especially for planting seeds or irrigation.

Usage examples:

Regular furrows in a ploughed field

verb

Make a rut, groove, or trail in (the ground or the surface of something).

Usage examples:

Gorges furrowing the deep-sea floor

noun

A long, narrow cut or fold in the surface of something

Usage examples:

The plow sped along the furrow, turning over the earth., he tried to smooth the furrow out of his j…

noun

A break or hole in an object or between two objects.

Usage examples:

He peeped through the gap in the curtains

noun

An empty space or opening in the middle of something or between two things

Usage examples:

Picking up speed, she closed the gap between them., she has a gap between her front teeth., after a…

noun

A difference between two numbers, amounts, or levels

Usage examples:

Forecasters are predicting a budget gap of nearly $17 bn next year., there is a $40 million shortfa…

noun

A long, deep cut or wound.

Usage examples:

A bad gash in one leg became infected

verb

Make a long, deep cut in.

Usage examples:

The jagged edges gashed their fingers

noun

Rubbish or waste.

Usage examples:

The gash bucket

verb

Cut with rough or heavy blows.

Usage examples:

Hack off the branches and let them fall to the ground

noun

A rough cut, blow, or stroke.

Usage examples:

He was sure one of us was going to take a hack at him

verb

Ride a horse for pleasure or exercise.

Usage examples:

The two riders hacked along the trail through the woods

verb

Divide into two parts of equal or roughly equal size.

Usage examples:

Halve the aubergine lengthways

verb

Chop or cut (something, especially wood or coal) with an axe, pick, or other tool.

Usage examples:

Master carpenters would hew the logs with an axe

abbreviation

(the us department of) health, education, and welfare.

Usage examples:

He was hew secretary 1970–73

noun

A hollow place in a solid body or surface.

Usage examples:

The dog had dug a hole in the ground

verb

Make a hole or holes in.

Usage examples:

A fuel tank was holed by the attack and a fire started

noun

The action of indenting or the state of being indented.

Usage examples:

Paragraphs are marked off by indentation

noun

A part of a surface that curves inward

Usage examples:

If a surgeon takes out too much fat, he may leave indentations in the skin.

noun

An intervening space, especially a very small one.

Usage examples:

Sunshine filtered through the interstices of the arching trees

noun

A space between things or events

Usage examples:

The wall was old and crumbling with plants growing in the interstices between/in/of the bricks., a …

noun

A space or gap that allows passage or access.

Usage examples:

An opening in the roof would get rid of the smoke

adjective

Coming at the beginning of something; initial.

Usage examples:

She stole the show with her opening remark

verb

Move (a door or window) so as to leave a space allowing access and vision.

Usage examples:

She opened the door and went in

verb

(of two things) move away from each other.

Usage examples:

His lips parted in a smile

noun

An amount or section which, when combined with others, makes up the whole of something.

Usage examples:

Divide the circle into three equal parts

noun

Some but not all of something.

Usage examples:

The painting tells only part of the story

noun

A large hole in the ground.

Usage examples:

I do not see any risk of these pits becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

verb

Set someone or something in conflict or competition with.

Usage examples:

You'll get the chance to pit your wits against the world champions

verb

Remove the pit from (fruit).

Usage examples:

Leave some cherries whole so people can see later on how hard you worked pitting real cherries.

noun

Each of four equal or corresponding parts into which something is or can be divided.

Usage examples:

She cut each apple into quarters

verb

Divide into four equal or corresponding parts.

Usage examples:

Peel and quarter the bananas

verb

Tear (something) into pieces.

Usage examples:

Snapping teeth that would rend human flesh to shreds

verb

To break something violently; tear

verb

To tear or break something violently

Usage examples:

With one stroke of his sword, he rent his enemy's helmet in two., [ + adj ] firemen had to rend him…

noun

A tenant's regular payment to a landlord for the use of property or land.

Usage examples:

I cannot even afford to pay the rent on this flat

verb

Pay someone for the use of (something, typically property, land, or a car).

Usage examples:

They rented a house together in sussex

noun

A large tear in a piece of fabric.

Usage examples:

Eddie was dismayed by the rent in the roof of the tent

noun

A crack, split, or break in something.

Usage examples:

The wind had torn open a rift in the clouds

verb

Break apart or become separated through faulting caused by plate tectonics.

Usage examples:

The indian landmass rifted from madagascar about 90 million years ago

noun

Something that divides partners or friends

Usage examples:

The border dispute caused a rift between canada and the us.

verb

Split or tear apart violently.

Usage examples:

The party was riven by disagreements over europe

verb

Cause to move or be apart.

Usage examples:

Both owners were trying to separate the dogs

adjective

No longer living together as a couple.

Usage examples:

His parents are separated

verb

Divide by cutting or slicing, especially suddenly and forcibly.

Usage examples:

The head was severed from the body

verb

Set or keep apart

noun

A long, narrow cut or opening.

Usage examples:

Make a slit in the stem under a bud

verb

Make a long, narrow cut in.

Usage examples:

Give me the truth or i will slit your throat

noun

A small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or similar material broken off from a larger piece.

Usage examples:

A splinter of ice

verb

Break or cause to break into small sharp fragments.

Usage examples:

The soap box splintered

noun

A small, sharp, piece of wood, glass, or similar material that has broken off a larger piece

Usage examples:

She tried to ignore the splinter in her foot., the old tree cracked and splintered as it fell.

verb

Break or cause to break forcibly into parts, especially into halves or along the grain.

Usage examples:

The ice cracked and split

noun

A tear, crack, or fissure in something, especially down the middle or along the grain.

Usage examples:

Splits appeared in the decaying planks

proper noun

A seaport on the coast of southern croatia; population 177,500 (est. 2009). founded as a roman colony in 78 bc, it contains the ruins of the palace of the emperor diocletian, built in about ad 300.

verb

Split apart.

Usage examples:

A universe sundered ages ago in a divine war

verb

To break something apart

Usage examples:

The last few bubbles rose from the sundered ship.

adjective

Not valid or legally binding.

Usage examples:

The contract was void

noun

A completely empty space.

Usage examples:

The black void of space

verb

Declare that (something) is not valid or legally binding.

Usage examples:

The supreme court voided the statute