cross the Great Divide
To die. I'm really scared that Mom is going to cross the Great Divide any day now. The doctors are saying that it's only a matter of time. It's been a year since my grandfather crossed the Great Divide, and I still miss him just as much. I'm so sorry to hear that Tom has crossed the Great Divide. When is his funeral?
divide (something) by (something)
To divide something into a specified number of parts, which is stated after "by." OK class, now what is the answer when we divide six by two? I need to divide 16 by 4? OK, the answer's 4. If he would only memorize his multiplication tables, he wouldn't struggle to divide 25 by 5.
divide (something) fifty-fifty
To split something evenly between both parties. I promised the kids that I would divide the last cookie fifty-fifty. Because you helped me so much with the yard sale, I want to divide the profits fifty-fifty. Let's just divide the bill fifty-fifty.
divide and conquer
1. To gain or maintain power by generating tension among others, especially those less powerful, so that they cannot unite in opposition. Rachel is so popular because she divides and conquers all of her minions and makes sure they all dislike each other. He's a dictator, so of course he wants to divide and conquer ordinary folks like us. The extremist faction has begun to divide and govern. They've turned the other parties against each other, giving them the chance to rise to power.
2. To accomplish something by having several people work on it separately and simultaneously. The only way we'll ever get this project finished on time is if we divide and conquer. I'll put the slides together while you type up the hand-out. Let's divide and conquer—you work on the script and I'll work on the costumes. This isn't really the sort of task we can divide and conquer. I mean, we both have to read the book for the test.
divide and govern
To gain or maintain power by fomenting discord among people so that they do not unite in opposition. Sometimes used as a modifier before a noun. The despot held onto power by dividing and governing, keeping any would-be opponents fractured and powerless through effective disinformation campaigns. The extremist faction has taken a distinct divide-and-govern approach. They turned the other parties against each other, giving them the chance to rise to power. He's a dictator, so of course he wants to divide and govern ordinary folks like us.
divide and rule
To gain or maintain power by fomenting discord among people so that they do not unite in opposition. The ascendancy of the faction occurred because they were able to divide and rule—they fooled the other parties into fighting while they rose to power. He's a dictator, so of course he wants to divide and rule ordinary folks like us. The despot knew that, to stay in power, he had to divide and rule by keeping any would-be opponents fractured and powerless through effective disinformation campaigns.
divide up
To divide and dole out portions of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "divide" and "up." All right, let's divide up the cash and then go our separate ways. Make sure you divide the pizza up equally this time! I don't want to get just a single piece like last time. Let's divide up the remaining work—I'll put the slides together while you type up the hand-out.
dividing line
An intangible distinction between two different concepts, principles, groups, types of people or things, etc. As a new parent, it can be difficult identifying the dividing line between looking out for your child's welfare and being overprotective. The students had established an arbitrary dividing line between those who were cool and those who were not. The new play calls into question the dividing line between sanity and insanity.
the great divide
slang A divorce. Ever since the great divide, I only see the kids every other weekend.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
divide by something
to perform mathematical division by a particular number. Can you divide by sixteens? Add this figure to the next column and divide by twenty.
divide
something between people or things to give shares of something to specific people or groups. (In a strict sense, only between two entities. Informally, between two or more.) I will have to divide the toys between the two children. He divided the tasks between the day crew and the night crew.
divide something by something
to perform mathematical division on something, using a particular number. Now, divide this sum by the figure in column seven. Can you divide 1. ,400 by 59?
divide something fifty-fifty
and split something fifty-fiftyto divide something into two equal parts. (The fifty means 50 percent.) Tommy and Billy divided the candy fifty-fifty. The robbers split the money fifty-fifty.
divide something (off)
(from something or animals) 1. to separate something from something else. Let's divide the chickens off from the ducks and put the chickens in the shed. We divided off the chickens from the ducks.
2. to separate something from something else, using a partition. We divided the sleeping area off from the rest of the room. A curtain was used to divide off a sleeping area.
divide
(something) (up) (between someone or something) and divide something (up) (among someone or something) to give something out in shares to people or groups. (More informal with up. Between with two;among with more.) Please divide this up between the visitors. Cut the birthday cake and divide it up among all the party guests. Please divide up this pie between the children.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
divide and conquer
Also, divide and govern or rule . Win by getting one's opponents to fight among themselves. For example, Divide and conquer was once a very successful policy in sub-Saharan Africa. This expression is a translation of the Latin maxim, Divide et impera ("divide and rule"), and began to appear in English about 1600.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
divide and conquer
BRITISH & AMERICAN or divide and rule
BRITISHCOMMON If you try to divide and conquer or divide and rule, you try to keep control over a group of people by encouraging them to argue amongst themselves. Trade unions are concerned that management may be tempted into a policy of divide and rule. The Summit sends a very strong message to him that he's not going to divide and conquer. Note: This expression has its origin in the Latin phrase `divide et impera'. It describes one of the tactics which the Romans used to rule their empire.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
divide and rule (or conquer)
the policy of maintaining supremacy over your opponents by encouraging dissent between them, thereby preventing them from uniting against you. This is a maxim associated with a number of rulers, and is found in Latin as divide et impera and in German as entzwei und gebiete . Since the early 17th century, English writers have often wrongly attributed it to the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli ( 1469–1527 ).
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
diˌvide and ˈrule
keep control over people by making them disagree with and fight each other, therefore not giving them the chance to unite and oppose you together: a policy of divide and ruleFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
great divide
n. a divorce. How did Sam survive the great divide?
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
divide and conquer/rule/govern, to
To win by getting one’s opponents to fight among themselves. This strategy not only was discovered to be effective in wartime by the most ancient of adversaries, but was also applied to less concrete affairs by Jesus: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25). The exact term is a translation of a Roman maxim, divide et impera (divide and rule).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer