Meaning & use
bisect
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Meanings
verbtransitivemathematics
To divide a line, angle, or shape into two exactly equal parts, especially in geometry.
Grammar: Takes an object: bisect the angle; you cannot say the angle bisects.
Patterns
- bisect an angle
- bisect a line segment
- bisect a shape
Use a compass to bisect the angle into two equal angles.
The median bisects the triangle and creates two smaller triangles of equal area.
verbtransitive
To divide something into two parts, often approximately equal.
Grammar: Still takes an object, but the parts may be only roughly equal outside mathematics.
Patterns
- bisect something
- a road bisects a town
- bisect an area
A new highway will bisect the old farmland.
The path bisects the garden and leads to the river.
Word forms
| third person singular | bisects |
|---|---|
| past tense | bisected |
| past participle | bisected |
| -ing form | bisecting |
Common combinations
- bisect an angle
- Students learned to bisect an angle with a straightedge and compass.
- bisect a line segment
- The point where the diagonals meet bisects each line segment.
- bisect a region
- The border would bisect a region that shares one dialect.
- bisect neatly
- A row of trees bisects the park neatly into two lawns.
Synonyms and how they differ
- halve
- Halve emphasizes equal division, often numerical; bisect is the precise geometry term.
- split
- Split is general and informal; it does not require equal parts.
- divide
- Divide is broader and can mean separate into any number of parts or groups.
Opposites
Word family
- bisection noun
- The act of dividing into two equal parts, or the line that does this.
- bisector noun
- A line or ray that divides an angle or segment into two equal parts.
Commonly confused: bisect or dissect? bisect or intersect?
bisect vs dissect
Dissect means to cut something apart to study it, not necessarily into two equal parts.
bisect vs intersect
Intersect means to cross or meet at a point; bisect specifically cuts into two matching halves.
Practice
To divide angle ABC into two equal smaller angles, you must ___ the angle.
Choose one answer.
Bisect means divide into exactly two equal parts. Intersect only means meet or cross, while trisect would make three parts, not two.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bisect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.