Cleavage

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈkliːvɪdÊ’/

Origin

From cleave + -age.

Full definition of cleavage

Noun

1. The act of cleaving or the state of being cleft. from 19th c.
2. (mineralogy) The tendency of a crystal to split along specific planes. from 19th c.
3. (biology) The repeated division of a cell into daughter cells after mitosis. from 19th c.
4. The hollow or separation between a woman's breasts, especially as revealed by a low neckline. from 20th c.
• 1946, "Cinema: Cleavage and the Code", Time, 5 Aug 1946:Low-cut Restoration costumes worn by the Misses Lockwood and Roc (see cut) display too much "cleavage" (Johnston Office trade term for the shadowed depression dividing an actress' bosom into two distinct sections).
5. (chemistry) The splitting of a large molecule into smaller ones.
6. (politics) The division of voters into voting blocs.

Related terms

• cleave
• cleft

Synonyms

• (separation between breasts) intermammary sulcus