What is to divide or separate into components; -- often used with up; as, to split up sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid. To split hairs, to make distinctions of useless nicety called?

split — (Chem.) To divide or separate into components; -- often used with up; as, to split up sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid. To split hairs, to make distinctions of useless nicety. (Webster's 1913.)

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