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World English Dictionary
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dichotomy
di·chot·o·my
[
dī kóttəmee
]
(
plural
di·chot·o·mies
)
noun
Definition:
1.
separation of different or contradictory things:
a separation into two divisions that differ widely from or contradict each other
2.
botany
branching of plants:
the division of each of a plant's branches into two more branches
3.
astronomy
Moon phase when half visible:
the phase of the Moon or a planet when half of its surface appears illuminated by the Sun
[
Late 16th century. Via modern Latin< Greek
dikhotomia
"cutting in two" <
dikho-
"apart, in two" +
temnein
"to cut"
]
di·chot·o·mic
[
dkə tómmik
]
adjective
di·chot·o·mous
[
dī kóttəmist
]
adjective
di·chot·o·mous·ly
[
dī kóttəməsslee
]
adverb
Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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di·chot·o·mic [ dkə tómmik ] adjectivedi·chot·o·mous [ dī kóttəmist ] adjectivedi·chot·o·mous·ly [ dī kóttəməsslee ] adverb
