splitting

Everyday

1. Splitting means breaking or cutting something into parts right now, often along a line. tree →
2. Splitting means sharing or dividing something between people. tree →
3. Splitting up means separating, like a group splitting up. tree →
4. A «splitting headache» is a very bad headache. tree →
5. Splitting with laughter means laughing so hard that it feels as if you might burst. tree →

In the lessons

In maths, splitting a number means breaking it into parts (partitioning): 47 is 40 + 7; splitting things equally is dividing. In everyday life, people split the bill or split a pizza. In science, cells split to make new cells; wood splits along the grain.

Examples

• We are splitting the pizza into eight slices. tree →
• Splitting 36 into 30 and 6 makes it easy to add. tree →
• Dad is splitting logs for the fire. tree →
• The class is splitting into four groups. tree →
• Splitting the sweets equally, each child gets 5. tree →
• I have a splitting headache. tree →
• The rock is splitting because of the ice inside it. tree →

Note

The past form of split is the same: «split» (no «splitted»). Double the t before -ing: «splitting». In maths, «split equally» means divide: 20 split between 4 = 5 each. «Splitting hairs» means arguing about tiny unimportant details.