divide and rule meaning, divide and rule definition | English Cobuild dictionary
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divide  

   ( divides    plural & 3rd person present)   ( dividing    present participle)   ( divided    past tense & past participle  )
1       verb   When people or things are divided or divideinto smaller groups or parts, they become separated into smaller parts.   (=split)  
The physical benefits of exercise can be divided into three factors...      be V-ed into pl-n  
It will be easiest if we divide them into groups...      V n into pl-n  
Divide the pastry in half and roll out each piece...      V n in fraction  
We divide into pairs and each pair takes a region...      V into pl-n  
Bacteria reproduce by dividing and making copies of themselves.      V, Also V n  
2       verb   If you divide something among people or things, you separate it into several parts or quantities which you distribute to the people or things.   (=share)  
Divide the sauce among 4 bowls.      V n between/among pl-n  
3       verb   If you divide a larger number by a smaller number or divide a smaller number into a larger number, you calculate how many times the smaller number can fit exactly into the larger number.  
Measure the floor area of the greenhouse and divide it by six.      V n by/into num  
4       verb   If a border or line divides two areas or divides an area into two, it keeps the two areas separate from each other.   (=separate)  
...remote border areas dividing Tamil and Muslim settlements.      V n  
...the long frontier dividing Mexico from the United States.      V n from n  
5       verb   If people divide over something or if something divides them, it causes strong disagreement between them.,   (Antonym: unite)    She has done more to divide the Conservatives than anyone else...      V n  
The party is likely to divide along ideological lines.      V prep  
6       n-count   A divide is a significant distinction between two groups, often one that causes conflict.  
usu sing, usu with supp   (=rift)  
...a deliberate attempt to create a Hindu-Muslim divide in India.     
7       n-count   A divide is a moment in time or a point in a process when there is a complete change from one situation to another.  
usu sing, usu with supp   (=watershed)  
The time had come to cross the great divide between formality and truth.     
8    You use divide and rule to refer to a policy which is intended to keep someone in a position of power by causing disagreements between people who might otherwise unite against them.  
♦ divide and rule      phrase  
  (disapproval)    The government's policies of divide and rule have only contributed to the volatility of the region.      divide up  
1       phrasal verb   If you divide something up, you separate it into smaller or more useful groups.   (=split up)  
The idea is to divide up the country into four sectors...      V P n (not pron) into pl-n  
The Trust needs a new law to divide it up into smaller bodies.      V n P into pl-n  
2       phrasal verb   If you divide something up, you share it out among a number of people or groups in approximately equal parts.  
The aim was to divide up the business, give everyone an equal stake in its future.      V P n (not pron)  
English Collins Dictionary - English synonyms & Thesaurus  

Collaborative Dictionary     English Cobuild
brick and mortar
exp.
business operating in a "real world" not on the internet : like a department store, a car manufacturer
smoke and mirrors
exp.
(metaphorically) manipulation attempt
up and running
exp.
expression used to describe something working fine, good or excellent
rain cats and dogs
id.
rain very heavily
sewer
n.
A pipe that carries water and pollutants after being used in houses and businesses.
!
convention
n.
behavior and attitude that most people in a society consider to be normal and right.
!
flaws and all
adv.
in spite of the flaws/minuses/disadvantages; with goods and bads; with minuses and pluses
!
Dominant
n.
ruling other people things
chav
n.
In the UK, a chav is a highly antisocial juvenile delinquent who wears (usually counterfeit) designer sports clothes and high-end brands and vulgar jewellery (= bling) and listens to rap music.
generation gap
n.
a broad difference in values and attitudes between one and another especially between parents and their children
rights
n.
rules concerning what people are owed to or allowed of, according to ethical principles of freedom and applied in society
EMS
n.
Emergency Medical Services - Polysemic Term used in USA and UK for Prehospital Emergency Services and other countries as the whole chain from Emergency Call to Hospital Intensive Care services.
gazunder
n.
a humorous and old-fashioned word that means a chamber pot
noob
n.
def.: new and inexperienced person
premethrin
n.
synhtetic pyrethroid pesticide C21 H20 CL2 O3 used espacially against insects ticks and mites
upcycle
v.
to recycle somethiing and make it into something more upmarket
bromance
n.
blend of "brother" and "romance" used to describe a strong friendship between two males.
belieber
n.
fan of Justin Bieber (young and very popular singer)
lunge
n.
an exercise consisting in controlled downward and/or forward movement, used for weight training
workover
n.
work and operations made in drilling for maintaining petroleum or Gas wells effective
skanky
adj.
low; cheap, dirty, sluttish (as behavior and/or look)
TLC
exp.
tenderness, love and care
mean-spirited
adj.
petty and small-minded
minger
n.
unattractive person, looking dirty and/or smelling bad
Mizzle
v.
mist and drizzle
fund-raising
n.
a deliberate and strategic effort to engage one in a donor/investor relationship
Chindia
n.
China and India
PIGS
n.
an acronym sometimes used by economic analysts referring to Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain
sloth bear
n.
arboreal, nocturnal and insectivorous species of bear in the Indian subcontinent
tidal energy
n.
renewable energy obtainable on coasts based on the sea or ocean low and high tides

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"Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 4th edition published in 2003 © HarperCollins Publishers 1987, 1995, 2001, 2003 and Collins A-Z Thesaurus 1st edition first published in 1995 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995"