to hive off
1
8.0
- phrasal verb
- Jargon
- The company decided to hive off its electronics division into a separate entity.
Examples
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Several non-core businesses will be hived off over the next few years.
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After restructuring, they hived off the publishing group to focus on digital products.
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Don't hive off important resources without consulting the team!
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The company decided to hive off its non-core assets.
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After restructuring, they hived off the publishing group to focus on digital products.
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The company decided to hive off its electronics division into a separate entity.
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Several non-core businesses will be hived off over the next few years.
Synonyms
372
1.9
To break into parts or pieces
125
2.6
To divide something into smaller parts
46
3.0
To separate into pieces, for example a machine or a group
27
4.1
To leave an organization and form a separate group
25
6.2
To leave a group and form a smaller, separate one often after disagreement
3
4.3
To separate a part from a larger group for a special task
2
6.7
To create a new business from part of a larger company
1
4.2
To divide a space with a wall or curtain to make a new area
1
3.9
To divide a space using a wall or screen
1
8.0
To separate a company into independent businesses
Antonyms
How Separate
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'hive' (to gather/store) combined with 'off' (away/removed) gives a partly predictable sense of setting something aside or transferring it, so a learner could infer a general idea of removal or separation. However, the nuance of doing this secretly or dishonestly is not directly derivable from the constituents and the usage is somewhat idiomatic and low-frequency, so full meaning requires prior exposure.
Etymology
Hive off may come from beekeeping. When a group of bees moves from the main hive and is set off in a new box, they become a separate colony, so to hive off part of a company means to make it separate or 'independent'.