separate (separates plural & 3rd person present) (separating present participle) (separated past tense & past participle )
The adjective and noun are pronounced sepərət. The verb is pronounced sepəreɪt.
1 adj If one thing is separatefrom another, there is a barrier, space, or division between them, so that they are clearly two things.
oft ADJ from n
Each villa has a separate sitting-room..., They are now making plans to form their own separate party..., Business bank accounts were kept separate from personal ones.
separateness n-uncount
...establishing Australia's cultural separateness from Britain.
2 adj If you refer to separate things, you mean several different things, rather than just one thing.
usu ADJ n
(=different)
Use separate chopping boards for raw meats, cooked meats, vegetables and salads..., Men and women have separate exercise rooms..., The authorities say six civilians have been killed in two separate attacks.
3 v-recip If you separate people or things that are together, or if they separate, they move apart.
Police moved in to separate the two groups... V pl-n
The pans were held in both hands and swirled around to separate gold particles from the dirt... V n from n
The front end of the car separated from the rest of the vehicle... V from n
They separated. Stephen returned to the square... pl-n V
They're separated from the adult inmates. V-ed
4 v-recip If you separate people or things that have been connected, or if one separatesfrom another, the connection between them is ended.
They want to separate teaching from research... V n from n
It's very possible that we may see a movement to separate the two parts of the country... V pl-n
He announced a new ministry to deal with Quebec's threat to separate from Canada. V from n
5 v-recip If a couple who are married or living together separate, they decide to live apart.
Her parents separated when she was very young... pl-n V
Since I separated from my husband I have gone a long way. V from n
6 verb An object, obstacle, distance, or period of time which separates two people, groups, or things exists between them.
...the white-railed fence that separated the yard from the paddock... V n from n
They had undoubtedly made progress in the six years that separated the two periods... V pl-n
But a group of six women and 23 children got separated from the others. get V-ed
7 verb If you separate one idea or fact from another, you clearly see or show the difference between them.
(=distinguish)
It is difficult to separate legend from truth... V n from n
It is difficult to separate the two aims. V pl-n
Separate out means the same as separate., phrasal verb
How can one ever separate out the act from the attitudes that surround it? V P n from n
8 verb A quality or factor that separates one thing from another is the reason why the two things are different from each other.
(=distinguish)
The single most important factor that separates ordinary photographs from good photographs is the lighting... V n from n
9 verb If a particular number of points separate two teams or competitors, one of them is winning or has won by that number of points.
In the end only three points separated the two teams. V pl-n
10 verb If you separate a group of people or things into smaller elements, or if a group separates, it is divided into smaller elements.
(=split)
The police wanted to separate them into smaller groups... V n into n
Let's separate into smaller groups... V into n
So all the colours that make up white light are sent in different directions and they separate. V
Separate out means the same as separate., phrasal verb
If prepared many hours ahead, the mixture may separate out. V P
11 n-plural Separates are clothes such as skirts, trousers, and shirts which cover just the top half or the bottom half of your body.
13 When two or more people who have been together for some time go their separate ways, they go to different places or end their relationship.
go their separate ways phrase V inflects
Sue and her husband decided to go their separate ways. separate out phrasal verb If you separate out something from the other things it is with, you take it out.
The ability to separate out reusable elements from other waste is crucial. V P n from n, Also V P n (not pron)
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separate 7, 10
