dividual, a. (n.)
(dɪˈvɪdjuːəl)
[f. L. dīvidu-us divisible, separated + -al1.]
1. That is or may be divided or separated from something else; separate, distinct, particular.
| 1598 Florio, Diuisible, separable, diuiduall. 1612 Two Noble K. i. iii, The true love 'tweene mayde and mayde may be More then in sex dividual [printed individuall]. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 85 True Liberty..which always with right reason dwells Twinn'd, and from her hath no dividual Being. 1740 Warburton Div. Legat. vi. vi, The two..scarce dividual. 1836 Blackw. Mag. XL. 536 A union of the mind's dividual acts. 1856 T. Aird Poet. Wks. 147 The Seasons..Come and go with sweet dividual change. |
2. Capable of being divided into parts, divisible; divided into parts, fragmentary.
| a 1619 M. Fotherby Atheom. i. vii. §1 (1622) 50 Some make their god of Atomes, and indiuidual moates; some of diuidual numbers; as Epicurus, and Pythagoras. 1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discip. iv. (1643) 13 Where any one would shew much variety of exercise, then 8..will be the more pliant and dividuall number [of soldiers.]. a 1650 May Satir. Puppy (1657) 10. 18.. Lowell Ambrose Poet. Wks. (1879) 772 ‘Believest thou then’..Cried he, ‘a dividual essence in Truth?’ |
3. Divided or distributed among a number; shared, participated, held in common.
| 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 382 The moon..her reign With thousand lesser Lights dividual holds. 1735 H. Brook Univ. Beauty iv. 132 While thro' the pores nutritive portions tend, Their equal aliment dividual share. 1818 Colebrooke Obligat. & Contracts I. 141 The rule holds when the obligation is dividual. |
† B. n. Obs.
1. That which is dividual; something divided or capable of being divided.
| 1668 H. Morr Div. Dial. Schol. (1713) 553 This is that of Gregory Nazianzen, ἀµέριστος ἐν µεµερισµένοις ἡ θεότης, The Individual Divinity in Dividuals. |
2. Math. In the process of division: One of the several parts of the dividend, each of which yields successively one figure or term of the quotient.
| 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Dividuale (in Arithm.) is a Number in the Rule of Division, comprehending part of the Dividend distinguished by a Point; whereof the Question must be ask'd, How often the Divisor is contain'd in it? 1811 Self Instructor 62 A new dividend, or dividual, to work upon. |
Hence diˈvidualism, dividuˈality (used as the opposites of individualism, individuality).
| 1803 Syd. Smith Wks. (1869) 23 The chances..do not depend solely upon their dividuality. 1883 F. Galton Hum. Faculty 169 Individualism is changed to dividualism. Ibid. 207 Dividuality replaces individuality. |