*split*

n. One who makes excessively fine or needless distinctions in reasoning; one who quibbles. “The caviling hairsplitter.” De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Making excessively fine or trivial distinctions in reasoning; overly subtle. -- n. The act or practice of making trivial distinctions. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ancient hairsplitting technicalities of special pleading. Charles Sumner. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Elec.) A device by which a single-phase current is split into two or more currents differing in phase. It is used in starting single-phase induction motors. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Elec.) The dephasing of the two parts of a single alternating current in two dissimilar branches of a given circuit. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. & i. To split again. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A split of a sheepskin; one of the thin sections made by splitting a sheepskin with a cutting knife or machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Split (Splitted, R.); p. pr. & vb. n. Splitting. ] [ Probably of Scand. or Low German origin; cf. Dan. splitte, LG. splitten, OD. splitten, spletten, D. splijten, G. spleissen, MHG. splīzen. Cf. Splice, Splint, Splinter. ] 1. To divide lengthwise; to separate from end to end, esp. by force; to divide in the direction of the grain or layers; to rive; to cleave; as, to split a piece of timber or a board; to split a gem; to split a sheepskin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cold winter split the rocks in twain. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To burst; to rupture; to rend; to tear asunder. [ 1913 Webster ]

A huge vessel of exceeding hard marble split asunder by congealed water. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To divide or break up into parts or divisions, as by discord; to separate into parts or parties, as a political party; to disunite. [ Colloq. ] South. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Chem.) To divide or separate into components; -- often used with up; as, to split up sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

To split hairs, to make distinctions of useless nicety. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To part asunder; to be rent; to burst; as, vessels split by the freezing of water in them. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be broken; to be dashed to pieces. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ship splits on the rock. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To separate into parties or factions. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To burst with laughter. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Each had a gravity would make you split. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To divulge a secret; to betray confidence; to peach. [ Slang ] Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Blackjack) To divide one hand of blackjack into two hands; -- a strategy allowed to a player when the first two cards dealt to the player have the same value. [ PJC ]

7. To leave; to depart (from a place or gathering); as, let's split. [ Slang ] [ PJC ]

To split on a rock, to fail; to to err fatally; to have the hopes and designs frustrated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A crack, rent, or longitudinal fissure. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A breach or separation, as in a political party; a division. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A piece that is split off, or made thin, by splitting; a splinter; a fragment. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Specif: (Leather Manuf.), One of the sections of a skin made by dividing it into two or more thicknesses. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Faro) A division of a stake happening when two cards of the kind on which the stake is laid are dealt in the same turn. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (a) (Basketwork) Any of the three or four strips into which osiers are commonly cleft for certain kinds of work; -- usually in pl. (b) (Weaving) Any of the dents of a reed. (c) Any of the air currents in a mine formed by dividing a larger current. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

7. Short for Split shot or split stroke. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

8. (Gymnastics) The feat of going down to the floor so that the legs extend in a straight line, either with one on each side or with one in front and the other behind. [ Cant or Slang ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

9. A small bottle (containing about half a pint) of some drink; -- so called as containing half the quantity of the customary smaller commercial size of bottle; also, a drink of half the usual quantity; a half glass. [ Cant or Slang ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

10. (Finance) The substitution of more than one share of a corporation's stock for one share. The market price of the stock usually drops in proportion to the increase in outstanding shares of stock. The split may be in any ratio, as, a two-for-one split; a three-for-two split. [ PJC ]

11. (Blackjack) The division by a player of one hand of blackjack into two hands, allowed when the first two cards dealt to a player have the same value; the player who chooses to split is obliged to increase the amount wagered by placing a sum equal to the original bet on the new hand thus created. See split{ 6 }, v.i. [ PJC ]

a. 1. Divided; cleft. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Divided deeply; cleft. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Exchanges) (a) Divided so as to be done or executed part at one time or price and part at another time or price; -- said of an order, sale, etc. (b) Of quotations, given in sixteenth, quotations in eighths being regular; as, 103/16 is a split quotation. (c) (London Stock Exchange) Designating ordinary stock that has been divided into preferred ordinary and deferred ordinary. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Split pease, hulled pease split for making soup, etc. --
Split pin (Mach.), a pin with one end split so that it may be spread open to secure it in its place. --
Split pulley, a parting pulley. See under Pulley. --
Split ring, a ring with overlapped or interlocked ends which may be sprung apart so that objects, as keys, may be strung upon the ring or removed from it. --
Split ticket, a ballot in which a voter votes for a portion of the candidates nominated by one party, candidates of other parties being substituted for those omitted. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

. (Elec.) An electric dynamometer having two coils so arranged that one carries the primary current, and the other the secondary current, of a transformer. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. pl. (Zool.) The Fissipedia. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Gram.) A simple infinitive with to, having a modifier between the verb and the to; as in, to largely decrease. Called also cleft infinitive. The use of the split infinitive is commonly considered to be ungrammatical, but by most grammarians it is considered acceptible. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

. (Mach.) A key split at one end like a split pin, for the same purpose. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. A stitch used in stem work to produce a fine line, much used in old church embroidery to work the hands and faces of figures. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ or }. In croquet, etc., a shot or stroke in which one drives in different directions one's own and the opponent's ball placed in contact. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. Timber sawn into lengths and then split. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Railroading) same as Point switch. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A California market fish (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) belonging to the Carp family. (b) The pintail duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, splits. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having a forked tongue, as that of snakes and some lizards. [ 1913 Webster ]