separate-v; 3 Senses

Sense Number 1: (cause to) divide or segregate into parts, sections, or smaller groups

Commentary: NP1 SEPARATE NP1 SEPARATE+causative] NP2 Includes: SEPARATE OUT, SEPARATE OFF

Examples:
The two pieces that we had glued separated.
During cytokinesis, the dividing cell separates into two diploid daughter cells.
At that time the road separated into two paths ahead.
Gerber received five consumer reports that the pacifiers separated into pieces.
Platelets are in the plasma, but they can be separated out.
The mountain range separates the two countries.
He separated the fighting children.
It worked as a solvent and separated the ink into its component colors.
Law rather than custom separated the races in public transportation.
Then they separated the usable flakes into those suitable for hafting and ones to be hand held.
There still lays the remnants of an America separated by racial and financial barriers.
The middle and low-level cloud types can also be separated into liquid and ice clouds.

Mappings:
VerbNet: classify-29.10,remove-10.1,separate-23.1-2
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: separate.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13
WordNet Verb Particle Constructions, Multiword Expressions:
separate_out 1
separate_off 1

Sense Number 2: discontinue a romantic relationship

Examples:
You and your spouse are still living together but have separated emotionally.
The tabloids reported that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have separated.

Mappings:
VerbNet: separate-23.1-2
FrameNet: Forming_relationships
PropBank: separate.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 8

Sense Number 3: go one's own way

Commentary: NP1 and NP2 SEPARATE NP1 SEPARATE from NP2 may be used metaphorically

Examples:
They separated, but later met at the bar for drinks.
The girls then separated and went to their homes.
The women began to talk in low voices and move away from the doorway as the men separated and went back to their card game.
The friends separated after the party.
The Syriac churches separated from the Greek and Latin ones in two stages.

Mappings:
VerbNet: separate-23.1-2
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: separate.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 9