Di-chōt′o-my, n.

n. [Gr. διχοτομία, from διχοτόμους; Fr. dichotomie, It. dicotomia. See supra.]

1. A cutting in two; a division. [Obs.] “A general breach or dichotomy with their church.” Browne.
2. Division or distribution of genera into two species; division into two subordinate parts.
3. (Astron.) That phase of the moon in which it appears bisected, or shows only half its disk, as at the quadratures.
4. (Bot.) Successive division and subdivision of a stem or vein into two parts as it proceeds from its origin.
5. (Logic.) Division into two; especially, the division of a class into two sub-classes opposed to each other by contradiction; as the division of the term man into white and not white.