divaricate

US: (v. dī var′i kāt′, di-; adj. dī var′ə kit, -kāt′, di-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

di•var•i•cate  (v. dī var′i kāt′, di-;adj. dī var′ə kit, -kāt′, di-), v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing, adj. 
v.i. 

1. Zoology to spread apart;
   branch;
   diverge.
2. Botany to branch at a wide angle.

adj. 

3. spread apart;
   widely divergent.
4. Botany branching at a wide angle.

• Latin dīvāricātus (past participle of dīvāricāre), equivalent. to dī di-² + vāric- (base of vāricāre to straddle; see prevaricate) + -ātus -ate¹
• 1615–25

di•var′i•cate•ly, adv. 
di•var′i•cat′ing•ly, adv. 
di•var′i•ca′tion, n. 
di•var′i•ca′tor, n.