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Glite Dictionary
to trifurcate

to trifurcate

9.9
To split into three parts, like a road that goes into three paths
  • verb
  • /ˈtraɪfərˌkeɪt/
translation icon : trifurcar
  • The committee decided to trifurcate the resources into three distinct categories for better management.

Examples

  • The river begins to trifurcate into three smaller streams as it flows through the valley.

  • By cannulating ducts and marking them with barium, we found that one ductal system may rapidly bifurcate or even trifurcate directly under the nipple.

    Academic text (1999)

  • What is very interesting about the legal environment is that legal budgets can be bifurcated, trifurcated.

    Academic text (2009)

  • And this uses thousands of tetrahedrons and they bifurcate and trifurcate and they grow outwards.

  • During the meeting, we discussed how to trifurcate the project into three phases for improved clarity.

Synonyms

to split
vsto trifurcate
513 1.3

To break something into two or more parts

divides specifically into three branches rather than two or more parts
to branch
vsto trifurcate
49 2.7

To split into two or more parts

splits into three separate offshoots rather than general parts
to split up
vsto trifurcate
47 2.6

To divide something into smaller parts

divides into three branches rather than separating items into pieces
to fork
vsto trifurcate
13 4.6

To divide into two or more branches

splits into three branches rather than two-way division
to trisect
vsto trifurcate
1 8.4

To divide something into three equal parts

splits into three branches rather than equal measured parts
to ramify
vsto trifurcate
  • Specialized
1 8.4

To spread out into many branches like a tree or its roots

splits into three branches rather than many spreading parts
to furcate
vsto trifurcate
  • Specialized
9.9

To divide into branches, for example a road or river

splits specifically into three branches rather than two or more

How Branched

to ramify
  • Specialized
1 8.4
to trifurcate
9.9
to bifurcate
  • Formal
8 8.6
to split
513 1.3

Surface Forms

trifurcate infinitive
trifurcated past
trifurcated past participle
trifurcating present participle
trifurcates third person singular

Morphology

trifurcate = bifurcate (transparent) = tri + furc + ate

The word 'trifurcate' is transparently derived from 'bifurcate' by replacing 'bi-' with 'tri-', indicating a division into three parts.

Etymology

Trifurcate comes from tri- meaning 'three', as in triangle, and the root -furcate from a word for 'fork'. Picture a road that splits into three separate forks; that's why to trifurcate is to divide into three branches.