- To sever is to separate or to cut or slice something.
- When someone's hand is caught in a machine and is cut off, this is an example of a situation where he severs his hand.
- When you cut off ties to a friend who was unkind, this is an example of a situation where you sever all ties.
- to separate; make or become distinct; divide: severed from his family by the war
- to part or break off, as by cutting or with force; cut in two: to sever a cable, to sever all relationship
Origin of severMiddle English severen ; from Old French sevrer, severer ; from Vulgar Latin an unverified form seperare ; from Classical Latin separare, to separate
transitive verbsev·ered, sev·er·ing, sev·ers
- To cut off (a part) from a whole: severed the branch from the tree.
- To divide into parts; break or interrupt: sever a cord; severed the army's supply lines.
- To break up (a relationship, for example); dissolve. See Synonyms at separate.
Origin of severMiddle English severen, from Anglo-Norman severer, from Vulgar Latin *sēperāre, from Latin sēparāre; see separate.
(third-person singular simple present severs, present participle severing, simple past and past participle severed)
- To cut free.
- After he graduated, he severed all links to his family.
- to sever the head from the body
- (intransitive) To suffer disjunction; to be parted or separated.
- (intransitive) To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish.
- The Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt. "” Ex. ix. 4.
- They claimed the right of severing in their challenge. "” Macaulay.
- (law) To disunite; to disconnect; to terminate.
- to sever an estate in joint tenancy
From Middle English severen, from Old French sevrer, from Latin separare (“to separate"), from se- (“apart") + parare (“provide, arrange").