Cleavage
/ˈkliːvɪdʒ/
Definitions
2 meaningsA division or separation, especially of rock or wood along a plane of weakness.
/ˈkliːvɪdʒ/
A split or crack; a division.
The geologist studied the cleavage in the rock.
💡 Simply: Imagine cracking a rock in half. That split is a cleavage. It's also used to describe a split in a muscle or other body part.
👶 For kids: A crack or split in something.
More Examples
The wood showed signs of natural cleavage.
How It's Used
"The mountain showed evidence of significant rock cleavage."
"The surgeon carefully made an incision along the natural cleavage of the muscle."
The area between a woman's breasts, often accentuated by clothing.
/ˈkliːvɪdʒ/
The space between a woman's breasts.
The actress's cleavage was prominently displayed in the magazine photo.
💡 Simply: It's the area between a woman's breasts. Sometimes it's shown off by a low-cut shirt.
👶 For kids: The space between a person's breasts.
How It's Used
"Her low-cut dress revealed considerable cleavage."
From Middle English *clevynge, from Old English *cleofung, from cleofan "to cleave, split". The modern sense relating to the body developed later.
Historically, the word primarily referred to the geological meaning. The anatomical usage emerged later and gained prominence in the 20th century.
Memory tip
Think of a 'cleaving' axe splitting wood – creating a cleavage.