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Sever

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sev⋅er

  [sev-er]
Use Sever in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to separate (a part) from the whole, as by cutting or the like.
2. to divide into parts, esp. forcibly; cleave.
3. to break off or dissolve (ties, relations, etc.).
4. Law. to divide into parts; disunite (an estate, titles of a statute, etc.).
5. to distinguish; discriminate between.
–verb (used without object)
6. to become separated from each other; become divided into parts.
Origin:
1300–50; ME severen < MF sev(e)rer to separate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sev·er   (sěv'ər)   
v.   sev·ered, sev·er·ing, sev·ers

v.   tr.

  1. To set or keep apart; divide or separate.

  2. To cut off (a part) from a whole.

  3. To break up (a relationship, for example); dissolve. See Synonyms at separate.

v.   intr.

  1. To become cut or broken apart.

  2. To become separated or divided from each other.


[Middle English severen, from Anglo-Norman severer, from Vulgar Latin *sēperāre, from Latin sēparāre; see separate.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sever 
c.1300, from Anglo-Fr. severer, from O.Fr. sevrer "to separate," from V.L. *seperare, from L. separare "separate" (see separate).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: sev·er
Pronunciation: 'se-v&r
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: sev·ered; sev·er·ing
1 : to end (a joint tenancy) by ending one or all of the unities of time, title, possession, or interest (as by conveying one tenant's interest to another party)
2 : to separate (as a contract) into different parts (as independent obligations) in order to treat each separately
3 a : to try (criminal offenses or defendants) separately in order to avoid prejudice b : to split (a criminal trial) into multiple trials in order to avoid prejudice c : to try (civil claims or issues pleaded in the same case) separately —sev·er·ance /'se-vr&ns, -v&-rens/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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