Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To cut off (a part) from a whole.
  • transitive verb To divide into parts; break or interrupt.
  • transitive verb To break up (a relationship, for example); dissolve. synonym: separate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To separate; part; put or keep distinct or apart.
  • To part, sunder, or divide; separate into two or more parts: as, to sever the body or the arm at a single stroke.
  • To separate from the rest: said of a part with reference to the whole or main body of anything: as, to sever the head from the body.
  • To separate; disjoin; referring to things that are distinct but united by some tie.
  • To distinguish; discriminate; know apart.
  • In law, to disunite; disconnect; part possession of.
  • To separate; part; go asunder: move apart.
  • To make a separation or distinction; distinguish.
  • To act separately or independently.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To suffer disjunction; to be parted, or rent asunder; to be separated; to part; to separate.
  • intransitive verb To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish.
  • transitive verb To separate, as one from another; to cut off from something; to divide; to part in any way, especially by violence, as by cutting, rending, etc..
  • transitive verb To cut or break open or apart; to divide into parts; to cut through; to disjoin.
  • transitive verb To keep distinct or apart; to except; to exempt.
  • transitive verb (Law) To disunite; to disconnect; to terminate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To cut free.
  • verb intransitive To suffer disjunction; to be parted or separated.
  • verb intransitive To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb set or keep apart
  • verb cut off from a whole

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English severen, from Anglo-Norman severer, from Vulgar Latin *sēperāre, from Latin sēparāre; see separate.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English severen, from Old French sevrer, from Latin separare ("to separate"), from se- ("apart") + parare ("provide, arrange").

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Examples

  • Tapping on my clipboard with my pen and pointing to the word sever, I asked, Oh, one other thing about Georgann Hawkins.

    The Riverman Robert D. Keppel 2005

  • Tapping on my clipboard with my pen and pointing to the word sever, I asked, Oh, one other thing about Georgann Hawkins.

    The Riverman Robert D. Keppel 2005

  • Tapping on my clipboard with my pen and pointing to the word sever, I asked, Oh, one other thing about Georgann Hawkins.

    The Riverman Robert D. Keppel 2005

  • In fact most persons who are injured by WP do not die as a result though they do sustin sever injuries, usually several severe injuries.

    Think Progress » The Truth About ThinkProgress’ White Phosphorus Coverage 2005

  • In fact most persons who are injured by WP do not die as a result though they do sustin sever injuries, usually several severe injuries.

    Think Progress » The Truth About ThinkProgress’ White Phosphorus Coverage 2005

  • A motion to sever is a motion by one of two or more co-accused to be tried separately from the other or others.

    EXECUTIVE ORDER 10214 1951

  • Precisely this is understood as well by Hadrian's heirs – the Arab propagandists who through their use of this false name sever the historic tie between the People and the Land of Israel.

    Archive 2001-09-01 Lionheart 2001

  • Precisely this is understood as well by Hadrian's heirs – the Arab propagandists who through their use of this false name sever the historic tie between the People and the Land of Israel.

    Israel: Hadrians curse Lionheart 2001

  • But unless those who are Socialists merely in name sever their connection with the party of Karl Marx, it will not be long before many of them will lose all sense of honor, decency and morality.

    The Red Conspiracy Joseph J. Mereto

  • I think major labels sever the ties between you and your audience because they are taking all the data, all the information, and all the money from your audience, which means you're losing touch in this ivory tower of your record.

    Largehearted Boy 2009

Comments

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  • There is an Itchy and Scratchy were the mouse police have the motto "Protect and Sever".

    October 22, 2007

  • From the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.pg.101

    "Then I sever the rope that holds the sandbag for boxing, and the bag splits open as it slams to the ground."

    November 29, 2010