dichotomize

From Ancient Greek διχότομος (dikhótomos) +‎ -ize.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dʌɪˈkɒtəmʌɪz/

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.
   • 1623 December 26, Hall, Joseph, “Sermon XI: The Glory of the Latter House”, in The Works of Joseph Hall, D.D., volume 5, Oxford: D. A. Talboys, published 1837, page 165:

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

   • 2011, Pinker, Steven, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 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.
   • 1837, Whewell, Rev. William, History of the Inductive Sciences from the Earliest to the Present Time, volume 1, page 155–156:

     If the moon was a perfectly smooth sphere […] the place when she was dichotomized, […] would depend upon the sun's distance from the earth.

• (to separate into two parts): bisect, halve; see also Thesaurus:bisect

• dichotomy