bifurcation - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō

English bifurcation

From bifurcate + -ion.

bifurcation (countable and uncountable, plural bifurcations)

  1. (biology) A division into two branches.
  2. (by extension) Any place where one thing divides into two.
  3. The act of bifurcating; branching or dividing in two.
    • 2023 October 12, Edgar Momplaisir, “A Few Badgeys More” (15:59 from the start), in Star Trek: Lower Decks‎[1], season 4, episode 7, spoken by Logic-y (Jack McBrayer):
      “Get away from me, freak.” “Actually, my designation is Logic-y. I take issue with the pejorative when I am simply a product of your self-inflicted bifurcation.”
  4. Either of the forks or other branches resultant from such a division.
  5. (geography) A place where two roads, tributaries etc. part or meet.
  6. (nautical) The point where a channel divides when proceeding from seaward.
  7. (mathematics) The change in the qualitative or topological structure of a given family as described by bifurcation theory.
  8. (computer science) A command that executes one block or other of commands depending on the result of a condition.

biology: division into two branches

any place where one divides into two

a place where two roads, tributaries etc. part or meet

From bifurquer +‎ -tion, Medieval Latin bifurcus (“two-pronged”).

bifurcation f (plural bifurcations)

  1. a bifurcation, where two roads etc. part or meet

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