dichotomize

Etymology

From Ancient Greek διχότομος (dikhótomos) +‎ -ize.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dʌɪˈkɒtəmʌɪz/

Verb

dichotomize (third-person singular simple present dichotomizes, present participle dichotomizing, simple past and past participle dichotomized)

1. (transitive) To separate into two parts or classifications.
   • Bishop Hall

     The apostolical benediction dichotomizes all good things into grace and peace.

   • 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin 2012, p. 49:

     Also, societies cannot be dichotomized into hunter-gatherer bands and agricultural civilizations.

2. (intransitive) To be divided into two.
3. (astronomy) To exhibit as a half disk.
   • Whewell

     [The moon] was dichotomized.