bisect

B3I1S1E1C3T1
US/baɪˈsɛkt/

verb

To cut or divide into two parts.

“The river bisects the town.”

Similar
dichotomizedimidiatebipartitionhalfhalve
Opposite
double
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

verbbisect (third-person singular simple present bisects, present participle bisecting, simple past and past participle bisected)

present singular third person bisects · participle present bisecting · participle past bisected · past bisected

  1. transitiveTo cut or divide into two parts.

    The river bisects the town.

    1 more example

    The quadrennial period of games and festivals in Greece was probably arrived at by bisecting an older octennial period.

    1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 7, page 84
    1. transitivegeometryTo divide an angle, line segment, or other figure into two equal parts.
    2. transitivecomputingTo perform a binary search on files in source control in order to identify the specific change that introduced a bug etc.
nounbisect (plural bisects)

plural bisects

  1. geometryA bisector, which divides into two equal parts.
  2. hobbiesAn envelope, card, or fragment thereof showing an affixed cut half of a regular issued stamp, over which one or more postal markings have been applied. Typically used in wartime when normal lower rate stamps may not be available.

Synonyms & antonyms

to divide into two parts

Similar
dichotomize
Similar
dimidiatebipartitionhalfhalve
Opposite
double
Broader
divide
Also see
breakdichotomizehalf

Origin

From bi- (“bi-, two”) + Latin secāre (“to cut”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian разполовявам, разполовя
  • разполовявам (razpolovjavam)geometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
  • разполовя (razpolovja)geometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
  • разполовявам (razpolovjavam)to cut or divide into two parts
  • разполовя (razpolovja)to cut or divide into two parts
Finnish puolittaa, puolittaa
  • puolittaageometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
  • puolittaato cut or divide into two parts
  • halkaista kahtiato cut or divide into two parts
German halbieren
  • halbierento cut or divide into two parts
Greek διχοτομώ
  • διχοτομώ (dichotomó)geometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
Hawaiian pālua
  • pāluato cut or divide into two parts
Hungarian felez, megfelez
  • felezgeometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
  • megfelezgeometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
  • félbevágto cut or divide into two parts
  • elfelezto cut or divide into two parts
Italian bisecare
  • bisecaregeometry: to divide an angle, line segment or other figure into two equal parts
Māori weherua
  • weheruato cut or divide into two parts
Russian разделать пополам
  • разделать пополам (razdelatʹ popolam)to cut or divide into two parts
Swedish halvera, dela i tu
  • halverato cut or divide into two parts
  • dela i tuto cut or divide into two parts

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with bisect

subjectprojectselectdirecteffectobjectperfectrespectconnectcorrectprotectexpectaffectreflectcollectcheckedsuspectdetectincorrectindirectprospectelectdefectneglect
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

bisect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bisect

MLA

“bisect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bisect. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bisect,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bisect.

Source: bisect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.