Meaning & use
bisector
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Meaning
nouncountablemathematicstechnical
A line, ray or plane that cuts an angle, line segment or shape into two parts of exactly equal size.
Grammar: Usually has a type before it: an angle bisector or a perpendicular bisector.
Patterns
- the bisector of something
- bisector of an angle
The teacher asked us to draw the bisector of the angle with a compass.
A perpendicular bisector meets the segment at its midpoint and at right angles.
The three angle bisectors of a triangle meet at the center of its inscribed circle.
Word forms
| plural | bisectors |
|---|
Common combinations
- angle bisector
- Construct the angle bisector using only a compass and ruler.
- perpendicular bisector
- The perpendicular bisector of the chord passes through the centre of the circle.
- draw a bisector
- Draw a bisector through the vertex of the triangle.
- bisector of a segment
- The bisector of a segment passes through its midpoint.
Synonyms and how they differ
- median
- A median in a triangle joins a corner to the midpoint of the opposite side, so it bisects a side but not usually the angle.
- dividing line
- Dividing line is a general phrase for anything that separates two parts and does not require equal halves.
Word family
Commonly confused: bisector or transversal?
bisector vs transversal
A transversal is a line that crosses two or more other lines, but it does not need to cut anything into equal parts.
Practice
Which line is a perpendicular bisector of a segment?
Choose one answer.
A bisector cuts the segment into two equal halves and perpendicular means it meets it at 90 degrees. A line that merely crosses it may not do either.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bisector”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.