Word of the Day 9.6.08
di·chot·o·my (d
-k
t
-m
)
n. pl. di·chot·o·mies
1. Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions: “the dichotomy of the one and the many” Louis Auchincloss.
2. Astronomy The phase of the moon, Mercury, or Venus when half of the disk is illuminated.
3. Botany Branching characterized by successive forking into two approximately equal divisions.
[Greek dikhotomi
, from dikhotomos, divided in two : dikho-, dicho- + temnein, to cut; see tem- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
dichotomy [die-kot-a-mee]
Noun
pl -mies division into two opposed groups or parts [Greek dicha in two + temnein to cut]
dichotomous adj
USAGE: Dichotomy should always refer to a division of some kind into two groups. It is sometimes used to refer to a puzzling situation which seems to involve a contradiction, but this use is generally thought to be incorrect.
Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
-kt-m)
n. pl. di·chot·o·mies
1. Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions: “the dichotomy of the one and the many” Louis Auchincloss.
2. Astronomy The phase of the moon, Mercury, or Venus when half of the disk is illuminated.
3. Botany Branching characterized by successive forking into two approximately equal divisions.
[Greek dikhotomi, from dikhotomos, divided in two : dikho-, dicho- + temnein, to cut; see tem- in Indo-European roots.]
, from dikhotomos, divided in two : dikho-, dicho- + temnein, to cut; see tem- in Indo-European roots.]USAGE: Dichotomy should always refer to a division of some kind into two groups. It is sometimes used to refer to a puzzling situation which seems to involve a contradiction, but this use is generally thought to be incorrect.
