Englishfor English speakers
split
Verb
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If a group of people splits or is split, the people don't agree, so the group becomes more than one group.
Female voters overall are evenly split between Obama (48%) and McCain (47%).
A year after splitting with his wife, he's back in New Zealand.
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If you split something, you separate, cut, or break it into different parts.
East and West Germany were split apart at the end of World War II.
She split the wood in half.
They split into two teams.
The two agreed to split the bill.
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If you split your skin, you cut it by hitting it.
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If you split, you leave.
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A splitting headache is a very painful headache.
split
Noun
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A split between two groups is a strong disagreement.
Time brought about the split between Moscow and Beijing.
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A split in something, is a place where it breaks into two or where there is a long thing opening.
The split in the wood had grown wider over the years.
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If you do the splits, you spread your legs so that your feet are pointing away from each other.
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A kind of ice cream dessert.
phase
Noun
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A phase is stage in a process.
We will look at very basic ideas during the first phase of training.
As the war enters its final phase, the role of the UN will probably become more important.
Teenagers often go through a phase of being attracted to someone of the same sex.
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If things are in phase, they are working, moving, or changing together.
phase
Verb
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If you phase something in, you introduce it step by step.
Over the next few years, all farm support was slowly phased out.
start
Noun
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The beginning of something in place or time.
We went back to the start.
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A movement in reaction to surprise.
I surprised him and he gave a start.
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A surprise, often not pleasant.
She gave him quite a start.
start
Verb
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To begin; to do something for the first time.
They started the race in first place.
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To make a machine begin to work.
I will start the car.
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To move in surprise.
When I touched his arm, he started.