cleavage
[ klee-vij ]
/ ˈkli vɪdʒ /
noun
Words nearby cleavage
clearweed,
clearwing,
cleary,
cleat,
cleavable,
cleavage,
cleavage cavity,
cleavage division,
cleavage line,
cleavage product,
cleavage site
Example sentences from the Web for cleavage
British Dictionary definitions for cleavage
cleavage
/ (ˈkliːvɪdʒ) /
noun
informal
the separation between a woman's breasts, esp as revealed by a low-cut dress
a division or split
(of crystals) the act of splitting or the tendency to split along definite planes so as to yield smooth surfaces
Also called: segmentation embryol
(in animals) the repeated division of a fertilized ovum into a solid ball of cells (a morula), which later becomes hollow (a blastula)
the breaking of a chemical bond in a molecule to give smaller molecules or radicals
geology
the natural splitting of certain rocks, or minerals such as slates, or micas along the planes of weakness
Medical definitions for cleavage
cleavage
[ klē′vĭj ]
n.
A series of cell divisions in the ovum immediately following fertilization.
segmentation
The splitting of a complex molecule into two or more simpler molecules.
scission
The linear clefts in the skin, indicating the general direction of the fibers in the dermis.
Scientific definitions for cleavage
cleavage
[ klē′vĭj ]
Geology
The breaking of certain minerals along specific planes, making smooth surfaces. These surfaces are parallel to the faces of the molecular crystals that make up the minerals. A mineral that exhibits cleavage breaks into smooth pieces with the same pattern of parallel surfaces regardless of how many times it is broken. Some minerals, like quartz, do not have a cleavage and break into uneven pieces with rough surfaces.
Biology
- The series of mitotic cell divisions by which a single fertilized egg cell becomes a many-celled blastula. Each division produces cells half the size of the parent cell.
- Any of the single cell divisions in such a series.