dichotomous

From Late Latin dichotomos, from Ancient Greek διχότομος (dikhótomos, “cut in half”), from δίχα (díkha, “apart”) + τέμνω (témnō, “I cut”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /daɪˈkɒt.ə.məs/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /daɪˈkɑ.tə.məs/, [daɪˈkɑ.ɾə.məs]

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• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /dɑɪˈkɔt.ə.məs/, [dɑɪˈkɔɾ.ə.məs]

dichotomous (not comparable)

1. Dividing or branching into two mutually exclusive pieces.
   • 1992, Marie L. Hicks, Guide to the Liverworts of North Carolina, page 197:

     Genus Riccia L. Plants are thalloid, forming rosettes or loose, dichotomous patches.

   • 2023 February 23, Fara Dabhoiwala, “The West by Naoíse Mac Sweeney review – history rediscovered”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     The second half of the book switches to the increasingly dark story of how, from the 17th century onwards, European thinkers and politicians constructed a more and more dichotomous worldview.

• (dividing into two equal parts): bipartite, forked

• dichotomy