[f. SPLIT v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of the vb.; cleaving or rending.
a. In intransitive uses. Also with asunder.
c. 1595. Capt. Wyatt, Dudley’s Voy. (Hakl. Soc.), 54. When wee expected nothing less then splittinge of sailes, breakinge of shrowdes [etc.].
1597. A. M., trans. Guillemeau’s Fr. Chirurg., 23/1. The cleavinge, or splittinge … in the lippes,… and in the nose.
1611. Cotgr., Debris,… a breaking, or splitting asunder, as of a ship against a rocke.
1722–7. Boyer, Dict. Royal, I. Eclat de rire, a splitting with Laughing.
1798. Hutton, Course Math. (1807), II. 335. It is to be suspected that the great penetration … was owing to the splitting of his timber in some degree.
1838. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 330/1. The failure of the wall, by its separating into two thicknesses along the middle,… is called splitting.
1882. Vines, trans. Sachs’ Bot., 734. The splitting asunder of whole masses of tissue during freezing.
b. In transitive uses. Also with out.
1872. J. G. Holland, Marb. Proph., 102. How when the chopping and splitting were done?
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 131. A long spell of bush work—splitting, fencing,… what not.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 5 May, 1/2. The Chief Constructor … will personally direct the splitting out of the only twelve blocks remaining under the vessel.
2. The action of dividing, separating or parting.
1737. Gentl. Mag., VII. 34/1. Lest the Managers, by Splitting of Votes, should escape the Prosecution commenced against them.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 173. To prevent the splitting of freeholds. Ibid. (1766), II. 215. The inconveniences that attended the splitting of estates.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Loom & Lugger, I. i. 3. Such a splitting into two parties.
1885. Athenæum, 12 Sept., 333/1. It is equally difficult to escape the charge of tedious and needless splittings.
b. Similarly with up.
1847. trans. Bunsen’s Ch. Future, 10. Along with the splitting up of the divine idea in man, the human race also was split up out of unity into plurality.
1862. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org. (ed. 2), 288. The formation and the splitting up of these saccharides.
1895. Knowledge, July, 149. The splitting up of the rays which occurs on the transmission of light through a prism.
3. pl. That which is split, cleft or chopped.
1867. Morn. Star, 8 Oct. A Salisbury butcher announces … meat at the following prices:… Beef—brisket, 7d.; splittings, 71/2d.; rumps, 8d.
1887. D. C. Murray & Herman, One Traveller Returns, vi. 78. Upon this small logs and splittings, dry and green alike, were thrown.
4. Mining. (See quot.)
1883. Gresley, Gloss. Coal-mining, 231. Splittings.… Two horizontal level headings driven through a pillar in pillar workings, in order to work away the coal.
5. attrib., chiefly in the sense of ‘used or adapted for splitting,’ as splitting-knife, -machine, -mill, -tool; splitting-block (see quot. 1711), -board (see quot. 1875).
1711. W. Sutherland, Ship-build. Assist., 25. Blocks of hard knotty Stuff … upon which you lay other Blocks, called Splitting-blocks, of the freest Timber that can be got, for the Conveniency of cleaving out again, when you are ready to launch.
1802. A. Young, Autobiog. (1898), 383. I have fixed straw work here,… and my splitting machines are all distributed.
1846. Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 459. Paring or splitting tools, with thin edges.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2162. The blocks are fed to the splitting-knives by fluted rollers. Ibid., 2281/2. Splitting-board. (Mining.) Said of a dividing board used in mine ventilation to divide the incoming air.
1886. A. Weir, Hist. Basis Mod. Europe (1889), 376–7. The rollers … saved the smaller gauges from being consigned to the splitting mill.
