diverge

views updated May 23 2018

di·verge / diˈvərj; dī-/ • v. [intr.] 1. (of a road, route, or line) separate from another route, esp. a main one, and go in a different direction. ∎  develop in a different direction: howler and spider monkeys diverged from a common ancestor. ∎  (of an opinion, theory, approach, etc.) differ markedly: the coverage by the columnists diverged from that in the main news stories | [as adj.] (diverging) studies from different viewpoints yield diverging conclusions. ∎  deviate from a set course or standard: suddenly he diverged from his text.2. Math. (of a series) increase indefinitely as more terms are added.ORIGIN: mid 17th cent.: from medieval Latin divergere, from Latin dis- ‘in two ways’ + vergere ‘to turn or incline.’

diverge

views updated May 18 2018

diverge XVII. — medL. dīvergere, f. DI- 1 + vergere bend, incline, VERGE 2.
So divergent, divergence XVII. divers †different, diverse; (arch.) sundry, several, many. XIII. ME. divers(e), — (O)F. — L. dīversus contrary, separate, different, prop. pp. of dīvertere DIVERT. So diverse different; †divers, sundry. XIII. Identical in orig. with prec., in later use differentiated from it in form and pronunc. So diversity XIV. diversify XV. — OF. diversifier — medL. dīversificāre.