bifurcation

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

bi•fur•cate /v., adj. ˈbaɪfərˌkeɪt, baɪˈfɜrkeɪt; adj. also -kɪt/   v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing, adj. 
v. 

1. to fork into two branches: [no object]
   The road bifurcates up ahead.
   [~ + object]
   If you bifurcate your computer program at this point, you'll have two choices, each of which should lead you to the desired result.

adj. 

2. divided into two branches.

bi•fur•ca•tion, n. 

[countable] a bifurcation in the road.

[uncountable] trying to avoid unnecessary bifurcation in program design.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bi•fur•cate  (v., adj. bī′fər kāt′, bī fûr′kāt;adj. also bī′fər kit, bī fûr′-), v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing, adj. 
v.t., v.i. 

1. to divide or fork into two branches.

adj. 

2. divided into two branches.

• Medieval Latin bifurcātus, past participle of bifurcāre (bi- bi-¹ + furc(a) fork + -ātus -ate¹)
• 1605–15

bi•fur•cate•ly  (bī′fər kāt′lē; bī fûr′kāt lē, -kit-), adv.  bi′fur•ca′tion, n.