Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A forking; a branching like the tines of a fork; also, that which branches off; a division.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A branching like a fork.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The act or process of
furcating ; aforking orbranching out .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the place where something divides into branches
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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In reality, however, this "furcation," which was formerly regarded as a very mysterious process, is nothing but the familiar, repeated cell-segmentation.
The Evolution of Man — Volume 1 Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel 1876
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A week of furlough and a week of vacation (I call it "furcation") are complete, and I'm diving back into work.
unknown title 2009
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Times described "furcation" as "going someplace while on furlough or combining paid vacation days with unpaid days," while it said "staycation" means "staying at home because you can't afford to travel during your days off."
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March 16 (UPI) -- The recession has produced a new set of words to describe U.S. life, including "furcation," "staycation" and "frugalista," pundits say.
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Its most distinct characteristic is the furcation of the pinnæ, which are all of the same dimensions, whether sterile or fertile; they are all opposite and closely set along the mid-rib, whereas those of N. davallioides are set much further apart.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 447, July 26, 1884 Various
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In the barren pinnæ which are only situated on the lower portion of the frond, and which generally are only few in number, the furcation is rudimentary; in the fertile pinnæ it is twice and even three times repeated in the extremities of the first division, becoming more complex toward the point of the frond, where it often forms quite a large tassel, whose weight gives the fronds quite an elegant, arching habit.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 447, July 26, 1884 Various
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The superficial dividing lines between the different cells, which come from the repeated segmentation of the ovum, look like deep furrows on the surface, and hence the whole process has been given the name of furcation.
The Evolution of Man — Volume 1 Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel 1876
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= Leaves prolonged on the stem beneath the insertion: branchlets springing out beneath the point of furcation, as the feathering along the trunk of elms, etc.
Handbook of the Trees of New England Lorin Low Dame 1860
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The trunk, shaggy in old trees, rises with nearly uniform diameter to the point of furcation, throwing out rather small branches of unequal length and irregularly disposed, forming an oblong or rounded head with frequent gaps in the continuity of the foliage.
Handbook of the Trees of New England Lorin Low Dame 1860
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= -- A medium-sized tree, 40-50 feet high, rising occasionally in swamps to a height of 60-75 feet; trunk 2-4 feet in diameter, throwing out limbs at varying angles a few feet from the ground; branches and branchlets slender, forming a bushy spray, the tips having a slightly upward tendency; head compact, in young trees usually rounded and symmetrical, widest just above the point of furcation.
Handbook of the Trees of New England Lorin Low Dame 1860
reesetee commented on the word furcation
See multifurcation. And then take a vacation.
June 30, 2008