B2 (Upper-intermediate)

stepdaughter

stepdaughter [noun]

the daughter of your husband or wife from a previous marriage

US /ˈstepˌdɑː.t̬ɚ/ 
UK /ˈstepˌdɔː.tər/ 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

stepdaughter

stepdaughter /ˈstepdɔːtə $ -dɒːtər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a daughter that your husband or wife has from a relationship before your marriage

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepdaughter

step·daugh·ter [stepdaughter stepdaughters]   [ˈstepdɔːtə(r)]    [ˈstepdɔːtər]  noun
a daughter that your husband or wife has from an earlier marriage to another person 
Word Origin:

Old English stēopdohtor (see step-, daughter).

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepdaughter / ˈstepˌdɔː.tə r /   / -ˌdɑː.t̬ɚ / noun [ C ]

the daughter of your husband or wife from a previous marriage

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

stepdaughter

[ste̱pdɔːtə(r)]
 stepdaughters
 also step-daughter
 N-COUNT: oft poss N

 Someone's stepdaughter is a daughter that was born to their husband or wife during a previous relationship.

 

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

stepdaughter

step·daugh·ter /ˈstɛpˌdɑːtɚ/ noun, pl -ters [count] : your wife's or husband's daughter by a past marriage or relationship

stepson

stepson [noun]

the son of your husband or wife from a previous marriage

US /ˈstep.sʌn/ 
UK /ˈstep.sʌn/ 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

stepson

stepson /ˈstepsʌn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a son that your husband or wife has from a relationship before your marriage
 

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepson

step·son [stepson stepsons]   [ˈstepsʌn]    [ˈstepsʌn]  noun
a son that your husband or wife has from an earlier marriage to another person 
Word Origin:

Old English stēopsunu (see step-, son).

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepson / ˈstep.sʌn / noun [ C ]

the son of your husband or wife from a previous marriage

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

stepson

[ste̱psʌn]
 stepsons
 also step-son
 N-COUNT: oft poss N

 Someone's stepson is a son born to their husband or wife during a previous relationship.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

stepson

step·son /ˈstɛpˌsʌn/ noun, pl -sons [count] : your wife's or husband's son by a past marriage or relationship

stepsister

stepsister [noun]

not your parents' daughter, but the daughter of a person one of your parents has married

US /ˈstepˌsɪs.tɚ/ 
UK /ˈstepˌsɪs.tər/ 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

stepsister

stepsister /ˈstepsɪstə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
the daughter of your stepmother or stepfather

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepsister

step·sis·ter [stepsister stepsisters]   [ˈstepsɪstə(r)]    [ˈstepsɪstər]  noun
the daughter from an earlier marriage of your stepmother or stepfather

compare  half-sister

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepsister / ˈstepˌsɪs.tə r /   / -tɚ / noun [ C ]

not your parents' daughter, but the daughter of a person one of your parents has married

→  Compare half-sister

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

stepsister

[ste̱psɪstə(r)]
 stepsisters
 also step-sister
 N-COUNT: oft poss N

 Someone's stepsister is the daughter of their stepfather or stepmother.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

stepsister

step·sis·ter /ˈstɛpˌsɪstɚ/ noun, pl -ters [count] : the daughter of your stepmother or stepfather

stepbrother

stepbrother [noun]

not your parents' son, but the son of a person that one of your parents has married

US /ˈstepˌbrʌ.ðɚ/ 
UK /ˈstepˌbrʌ.ðər/ 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

stepbrother

stepbrother /ˈstepbrʌðə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
the son of your stepmother or stepfather

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepbrother

step·brother [stepbrother stepbrothers]   [ˈstepbrʌðə(r)]    [ˈstepbrʌðər]  noun
the son from an earlier marriage of your stepmother or stepfather

compare  half-brother

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepbrother / ˈstepˌbrʌ.ðə r /   / -ðɚ / noun [ C ]

not your parents' son, but the son of a person that one of your parents has married

→  Compare half-brother

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

stepbrother

[ste̱pbrʌðə(r)]
 stepbrothers
 also step-brother
 N-COUNT: oft poss N

 Someone's stepbrother is the son of their stepfather or stepmother.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

stepbrother

 

step·broth·er /ˈstɛpˌbrʌðɚ/ noun, pl -ers [count] : the son of your stepmother or stepfather

stepmother

stepmother [noun]

the woman who is married to someone's father but who is not their real mother

US /ˈstepˌmʌð.ɚ/ 
UK /ˈstepˌmʌð.ər/ 
Example: 

the wicked stepmother in fairy stories

Oxford Essential Dictionary

stepmother

 noun
a woman who has married your father but who is not your mother

word building
The child of your stepmother or stepfather is called your stepbrother or stepsister.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

stepmother

stepmother /ˈstepmʌðə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a woman who is married to your father but who is not your mother
• • •
THESAURUS
mother a female parent: My mother and father are both teachers.
mum British English informal, mom American English informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: My mum and dad won’t mind if you want to stay the night. | Mom, where’s my sweater?
mummy British English, mommy American English a name for mother, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children: Where’s Mummy, Abbie?
ma American English old-fashioned used when talking to your mother, or about someone's mother: Ma stirred the soup on the stove.
mama old-fashioned used when talking to your mother, or about someone's mother: Mama seldom disagreed with Papa.
stepmother (also stepmum British English informal, stepmom American English informal) a woman who is married to your father, who is not your mother but often acts as your parent: the wicked stepmother in fairy stories

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepmother

step·mother [stepmother stepmothers]   [ˈstepmʌðə(r)]    [ˈstepmʌðər]  noun
the woman who is married to your father but who is not your real mother 
Word Origin:

Old English stēopmōdor (see step-, mother).

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepmother / ˈstepˌmʌð.ə r /   / -ɚ / noun [ C ]

B2 the woman who is married to someone's father but who is not their real mother

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

stepmother

[ste̱pmʌðə(r)]
 stepmothers
 also step-mother
 N-COUNT: oft poss N

 Someone's stepmother is the woman who has married their father after the death or divorce of their mother.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

stepmother
 

step·moth·er /ˈstɛpˌmʌðɚ/ noun, pl -ers [count] : a woman that your father marries after his marriage to or relationship with your mother has ended

stepfather

stepfather [noun]

The man who is married to someone's mother but who is not their real father.

US /ˈstepˌfɑː.ðɚ/ 
UK /ˈstepˌfɑː.ðər/ 
Example: 

Her stepfather is really nice.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

stepfather

 noun
a man who has married your mother but who is not your father Look at the note at stepmother.

 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

stepfather

stepfather /ˈstepfɑːðə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a man who is married to your mother but who is not your father
• • •
THESAURUS
father a male parent: My father’s a doctor. | He’s a father of three.
dad informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: Can I borrow your car, Dad? | Her dad retired ten years ago. | My dad was in the army.
daddy a name for father, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children: Where’s your daddy? | Daddy, can I have a drink, please?
pop American English informal (also pa old-fashioned) used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: I helped Pop fix the gate this morning. | Can I help, Pa? | He is in New York with his Pop's credit card, eating all the ice cream and pizza the city has to offer.
papa old-fashioned informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: Papa had forbidden me to go. | She saw her papa 's face change at this news.
sb’s old man informal someone's father – used when talking about him in a way that is not very respectful: His old man wouldn’t let him use the car.
stepfather (also stepdad informal) a man who is married to your mother, who is not your father but often acts as your parent: Her stepfather is really nice.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepfather

step·father [stepfather stepfathers]   [ˈstepfɑːðə(r)]    [ˈstepfɑːðər]  noun
the man who is married to your mother but who is not your real father 
Word Origin:
Old English stēopfæder (see step-, father).  
Example Bank:

• He lives at home with his mother and stepfather.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

stepfather / ˈstepˌfɑː.ðə r /   / -ðɚ / noun [ C ]

B2 the man who is married to someone's mother but who is not their real father

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

stepfather

[ste̱pfɑːðə(r)]
 stepfathers
 also step-father
 N-COUNT: oft poss N

 Someone's stepfather is the man who has married their mother after the death or divorce of their father.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

stepfather

step·fa·ther /ˈstɛpˌfɑːðɚ/ noun, pl -thers [count] : a man that your mother marries after her marriage to or relationship with your father has ended

rage

rage [noun] (ANGER)

(a period of) extreme or violent anger

US /reɪdʒ/ 
UK /reɪdʒ/ 
Example: 

Her sudden towering rages were terrifying.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

rage

 noun
very strong anger:
Sue stormed out of the room in a rage.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

rage

I. rage1 /reɪdʒ/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin rabies 'anger, wildness', from rabere 'to be wild with anger']
1. [uncountable and countable] a strong feeling of uncontrollable anger:
Sobbing with rage, Carol was taken to the hospital.
in a rage
Sam became quite frightening when he was in a rage.
cry/scream/roar etc of rage
Just then, she heard Mr Evan’s bellow of rage.
red/dark/purple with rage
His face was red with rage.
trembling/shaking with rage
Forester stared at his car, trembling with rage.
seething/incandescent with rage (=as angry as a person can possibly be)
Animal rights supporters were incandescent with rage.
Richens was 17 when he flew into a rage and stabbed another teenager.
2. be all the rage informal to be very popular or fashionable:
DiCaprio became all the rage after starring in the film ‘Titanic’.
3. rage for something a situation in which something is very popular or fashionable:
the rage for mobile phones
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
shake/tremble with rage His wife was shaking with rage.
seethe with rage The injustice of it made Melissa seethe with rage.
cry with rage I was crying with rage and frustration.
explode with rage (also fly into a rage) (=suddenly become very angry) She knew her father would explode with rage if he found out.
■ phrases
be in a rage Moran was in a rage about some tools that had been left out in the rain.
be speechless with rage Speechless with rage, he hurled the letter in the fire before storming out.
be beside yourself with rage (=be so angry that you cannot control yourself) They had been publicly humiliated and were beside themselves with rage.
be incandescent with rage formal (=be extremely angry) The Queen was incandescent with rage.
be white with rage I could see she was white with rage.
somebody's face is dark/red/purple with rage His face went purple with rage.
somebody's face is twisted/contorted with rage Mike's usually calm face was contorted with rage.
a fit of rage In a fit of rage, he seized the poor man by the shoulders and shouted at him.
a cry/howl/bellow etc of rage She remembered his cries of rage as he was taken away.
tears of rage Her eyes were now full of tears of rage.
■ adjectives
a jealous rage He killed his wife in a jealous rage.
a drunken rage He smashed up his former girlfriend's car in a drunken rage.
a blind/uncontrollable rage (=extreme uncontrolled anger that makes someone violent) He lashed out in a blind rage.
murderous rage (=anger that makes someone capable of murder) Captain Black was in a murderous rage.
a towering rage (=extremely angry) He was in a towering rage.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ extreme anger
fury a very strong feeling of anger: The judge sparked fury when he freed a man who had attacked three women. | The decision caused fury among local people.
rage a very strong feeling of anger that is difficult to control or is expressed very suddenly or violently: When we accused him of lying, he flew into a rage (=became very angry very suddenly). | Brown killed his wife in a jealous rage.
outrage extreme anger and shock because you think something is unfair or wrong: The racist comments caused outrage in India and Britain.
wrath formal extreme anger: Pietersen was the next to incur the wrath of the referee (=make him angry).

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rage

rage [rage rages raged raging] noun, verb   [reɪdʒ]    [reɪdʒ] 

 

noun
1. uncountable, countable a feeling of violent anger that is difficult to control
His face was dark with rage.
to be shaking/trembling/speechless with rage
Sue stormed out of the room in a rage.

• He flies into a rage if you even mention the subject.

2. uncountable (in compounds) anger and violent behaviour caused by a particular situation
a case of trolley rage in the supermarket
see also  road rage  
Word Origin:
Middle English (also in the sense ‘madness’): from Old French rage (noun), rager (verb), from a variant of Latin rabies, from rabere ‘rave’.  
Example Bank:
‘How dare you!’ she said, her voice choked with rage.
A motorist was assaulted in a road rage attack.
Blind rage consumed him.
He flew into a rage at the insult.
He gave a roar of rage and punched me in the face.
He glared at me, quite beside himself with rage.
He left in a rage of humiliation.
He managed to master his rage.
He punched the wall in a fit of rage.
He was boiling with rage at the unfairness of it all.
He was filled with rage.
He was in a towering rage about his lost watch.
He was literally shaking with rage.
He was prone to violent rages.
Her eyes were burning with rage.
Her rage boiled over as she burst into tears.
Her voice was trembling with rage.
His answer only seemed to fuel her rage.
His rage suddenly erupted.
His rage was beginning to subside.
I was seething with rage.
If something's too difficult she gets in a rage.
Ron felt rage boil up inside him.
She felt the rage building up inside her.
She killed him in a rage of despair.
She smashed up his car in a drunken rage.
She started hitting him in a drunken rage.
She was burning with impotent rage.
The people vented their rage on government buildings.
She stormed out of the room in a rage.
• Sue stormed out in a rage.

Idiom: all the rage 

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rage / reɪdʒ / noun [ C or U ] (ANGER)

B2 (a period of) extreme or violent anger:

Her sudden towering rages were terrifying.

I was frightened because I had never seen him in such a rage before.

He flew into a fit of rage over the smallest mistake.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

rage

[re͟ɪʤ]

 rages, raging, raged
 1) N-VAR Rage is strong anger that is difficult to control.
  He was red-cheeked with rage...
  I flew into a rage...
  He admitted shooting the man in a fit of rage.
  Syn:
  fury
 2) VERB You say that something powerful or unpleasant rages when it continues with great force or violence.
  Train services were halted as the fire raged for more than four hours.
  ...the fierce arguments raging over the future of the Holy City...
  [V on] The war rages on and the time has come to take sides.
 3) VERB If you rage about something, you speak or think very angrily about it.
  [V about/against/at n] Monroe was on the phone, raging about her mistreatment by the brothers...
  Inside, Frannie was raging...
  [V with quote] `I can't see it's any of your business,' he raged.
 4) N-UNCOUNT: n N You can refer to the strong anger that someone feels in a particular situation as a particular rage, especially when this results in violent or aggressive behaviour.
 → See also road rage
  Cabin crews are reporting up to nine cases of air rage a week.
 5) N-SING: the N When something is popular and fashionable, you can say that it is the rage or all the rage. [INFORMAL]
  Badges are all the rage in France, Mr Toff explains.
 6) → See also raging

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

1rage /ˈreɪʤ/ noun, pl rag·es
1 a [noncount] : a strong feeling of anger that is difficult to control
• Her note to him was full of rage.
• He was shaking with rage.
• a fit of rage
- see also road rage synonyms see1anger
b [count] : a sudden expression of violent anger
• She was seized by a murderous rage.
• His rages rarely last more than a few minutes.
• He flew into a rage. [=he suddenly became extremely angry]
2 [singular]
a : something that is suddenly very popular
• Karaoke is (all) the rage these days. [=karaoke is very popular]
b : a strong desire by many people to have or do something - + for
• I don't understand the current rage for flavored coffee. [=I don't understand why flavored coffee is so popular]

fiancee

fiancee [noun]

the woman who someone is engaged to be married to

US /ˌfiː.ɑːnˈseɪ/ 
UK /fiˈɒn.seɪ/ 
Example: 

Hassan's fiancée is called Pervin.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

fiancée

 noun
A man's fiancée is the woman he has promised to marry.

 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

fiancée

fiancée /fiˈɒnseɪ $ ˌfiːɑːnˈseɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: fiancé used for females]
the woman who a man is going to marry
• • •
THESAURUS
girlfriend a girl or woman that you have a romantic relationship with, especially for a fairly long time: Katherine was his first girlfriend.
partner the person you are married to, or the person you are living with and having a sexual relationship with: He brought his partner along to the party.
old flame informal someone who was your girlfriend or boyfriend in the past: I found a love letter from one of his old flames.
mistress a woman that a man has a sexual relationship with even though he is married to someone else. Often used when the man is famous or powerful: The president had a mistress for many years.
lover someone who you have a sexual relationship with, but who you are not married to: He was going to meet his secret lover.
fiancée the woman who a man is going to marry: Rod plans to marry his fiancée later this year.
ex informal a man's former wife or girlfriend: My ex looks after the children on Thursdays.
be going out with somebody if you are going out with a girl or woman, she is your girlfriend: She's going out with a guy she met at work.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fiancée

fi·an·cée [fiancée fiancées]   [fiˈɒnseɪ]    [ˌfiːɑːnˈseɪ]  noun
the woman that a man is engaged to
Paul and his fiancée were there.  
Collocations:
Marriage and divorce
Romance
fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with sb)
be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
be/find true love/the love of your life
suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for sb/sth
meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have/go on a (blind) date
be going out with/ (especially NAmE) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
Weddings
get/be engaged/married/divorced
arrange/plan a wedding
have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
have/enter into an arranged marriage
call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
invite sb to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
Separation and divorce
be unfaithful to/ (informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have an affair (with sb)
break off/end an engagement/a relationship
break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend
separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife
annul/dissolve a marriage
apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children

pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband)

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fiancée / fiˈɒn.seɪ /   / ˌfiː.ɑːnˈseɪ / noun [ C ]

the woman who someone is engaged to be married to

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

fiancée

[fiɒ̱nseɪ, AM fi͟ːɑːnse͟ɪ]
 fiancées
 N-COUNT: usu poss N
 A man's fiancée is the woman to whom he is engaged to be married.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

fiancee

fi·an·cée /ˌfiːˌɑːnˈseɪ, fiˈɑːnˌseɪ/ noun, pl -cées [count] : a woman that a man is engaged to be married to
• My fiancée and I will be married in June.

fiance

fiance [noun]

the man who someone is engaged to be married to

US /ˌfiː.ɑːnˈseɪ/ 
UK /fiˈɒn.seɪ/ 
Example: 

Have you met Christina's fiancé?

Oxford Essential Dictionary

fiancé

 noun
A woman's fiancé is the man she has promised to marry.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

fiancé

fian /fiˈɒnseɪ $ ˌfiːɑːnˈseɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: past participle of fiancer 'to promise (in marriage)']
the man who a woman is going to marry
• • •
THESAURUS
boyfriend a boy or man that you have a romantic relationship with, especially for a fairly long time: Josh was my first boyfriend.
partner the person you are married to, or the person you are living with and having a sexual relationship with: Sweden allows gay partners to receive many of the same benefits that married couples get. | Partners are also welcome.
fiancé the man whom a woman is going to marry: Her fiancé was killed in the war.
lover someone who you have a sexual relationship with, without being married to them: A few nights later, they became lovers.
ex informal a woman’s former husband or boyfriend: Her ex has caused a lot of trouble for her.
old flame informal someone who was your boyfriend in the past: In a box in the closet, I found love letters from one of her old flames.
man informal a woman’s husband or boyfriend: She’ll always stand by her man.
sweetheart old-fashioned the person that you love: They were childhood sweethearts.
beau old-fashioned a woman’s boyfriend or lover - a very old-fashioned use: Does she have a beau?
toy boy informal humorous a young man who is having a sexual relationship with an older woman: A woman with a toy boy gets a lot more disapproving looks than a man with a younger woman.
sugar daddy informal an older man who gives a younger woman presents and money in return for their company and often for sex: I can imagine her cashing checks from some mysterious sugar daddy.
be going out with somebody if you are going out with a boy or man, you have him as your boyfriend: She’s been going out with Jack for a couple of months.
⇨ ↑girlfriend

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fiancé / fiˈɒn.seɪ /   / ˌfiː.ɑːnˈseɪ / noun [ C ]

the man who someone is engaged to be married to:

Have you met Christina's fiancé?

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

fiancé

[fiɒ̱nseɪ, AM fi͟ːɑːnse͟ɪ]
 fiancés
 N-COUNT: usu poss N
 A woman's fiancé is the man to whom she is engaged to be married.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

fiance

fi·an·cé /ˌfiːˌɑːnˈseɪ, fiˈɑːnˌseɪ/ noun, pl -cés [count] : a man that a woman is engaged to be married to
• Let me introduce my fiancé.

separate

separate [verb] (RELATIONSHIP)

to start to live in a different place from your husband or wife because the relationship has ended

US /ˈsep.ə.reɪt/ 
UK /ˈsep.ər.eɪt/ 
Example: 

My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

separate

 verb (separates, separating, separated)

1 to stop being together same meaning split up:
My parents separated when I was a baby.

2 to divide people or things; to keep people or things away from each other same meaning split:
The teacher separated the class into two groups.

3 to be between two things:
The Mediterranean separates Europe and Africa.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

II. separate2 S2 W2 /ˈsepəreɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑separation, ↑separates, ↑separatist, ↑separatism, ↑separator, inseperability; adjective: ↑separable ≠ ↑inseparable, ↑separate, ↑separated; adverb: ↑inseparably, ↑separately; verb: ↑separate]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of separare, from se- 'apart' + parare 'to prepare, get']
1. BE BETWEEN [transitive] if something separates two places or two things, it is between them so that they are not touching each other
separate something from something
The lighthouse is separated from the land by a wide channel.
2. DIVIDE [intransitive and transitive] to divide or split into different parts, or to make something do this:
This will keep your dressing from separating.
separate from
At this point, the satellite separates from its launcher.
separate something into something
Separate the students into four groups.
First, separate the eggs (=divide the white part from the yellow part).
3. STOP LIVING TOGETHER [intransitive] if two people who are married or have been living together separate, they start to live apart:
Jill and John separated a year ago.
4. RECOGNIZE DIFFERENCE [transitive] to recognize that one thing or idea is different from another
separate something from something
She finds it difficult to separate fact from fantasy.
5. MOVE APART [intransitive and transitive] if people separate, or if someone or something separates them, they move apart:
Ed stepped in to separate the two dogs.
separate somebody from somebody/something
In the fog, they got separated from the group.
6. MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING DIFFERENT [transitive] to be the quality or fact that makes someone or something different from other people or things
separate something from something
The capacity to think separates humans from animals.
7. BETTER/OLDER [transitive] if an amount separates two things, one thing is better or older than the other by that amount:
Three points now separate the two teams.
8. separate the men from the boys informal to show clearly which people are brave, strong, or skilled, and which are not
9. separate the sheep from the goats British English (also separate the wheat from the chaff) to separate the good things from the bad things
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to make something separate
separate verb [transitive] to divide something into two or more parts or groups, or to divide one type of thing from another. You use separate especially when saying that the parts are different from each other: Motorola is planning to separate the company into two public companies. | The items are separated into recyclable and non-recyclable waste.
divide verb [transitive] to make something become two or more parts or groups: The teacher divided us into groups. | The money was divided between them. | The house is divided into three apartments.
split verb [transitive] to separate something into two or more groups, parts etc – used especially when each part is equal in size: The class was split into groups of six.
break something up phrasal verb [transitive] to separate something into several smaller parts, especially to make it easier to deal with: The phone company was broken up to encourage competition. | Police used tear gas to break up the crowd.
segregate verb [transitive] to separate one group of people from others because of race, sex, religion etc: Schools were racially segregated. | Some prisons segregate prisoners who are infected with HIV.
■ to become separate
separate verb [intransitive] to divide into different parts, especially in a natural way: A watery liquid separates from the milk during cheesemaking.
split verb [intransitive] to separate into two or more parts or groups – used especially when each part is equal in size: What happens when an atom splits?
break up phrasal verb [intransitive] to separate into several smaller parts: In spring, the icebergs begin to break up.
separate somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. to divide a group of people or things into smaller groups:
We must separate out these different factors and examine each one.
2. to remove one type of thing or person from a group
separate somebody/something ↔ out from
Many older people may prefer not to be separated out from the rest of the adult population.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

verb   [ˈsepəreɪt]  ;   [ˈsepəreɪt]
1. intransitive, transitive to divide into different parts or groups; to divide things into different parts or groups
Stir the sauce constantly so that it does not separate.
~ sth Separate the eggs (= separate the yolk  from the white).
~ sth from/and sth It is impossible to separate belief from emotion.

~ sth into sth Make a list of points and separate them into ‘desirable’ and ‘essential’.

2. intransitive, transitive to move apart; to make people or things move apart
South America and Africa separated 200 million years ago.
~ from sth South America separated from Africa 200 million years ago.
~ into sth We separated into several different search parties.
~ sb/sth Police tried to separate the two men who were fighting.
• The war separated many families.

~ sb/sth from/and sb/sth Those suffering from infectious diseases were separated from the other patients.

3. transitive to be between two people, areas, countries, etc. so that they are not touching or connected
~ sb/sth A thousand kilometres separates the two cities.

~ sb/sth from/and sb A high wall separated our back yard from the playing field.

4. intransitive to stop living together as a couple with your husband, wife or partner
• They separated last year.

~ from sb He separated from his wife after 20 years of marriage.

5. transitive ~ sb/sth (from sb/sth) to make sb/sth different in some way from sb/sth else
Syn:  divide
Politics is the only thing that separates us (= that we disagree about).
Her lack of religious faith separated her from the rest of her family.
The judges found it impossible to separate the two contestants (= they gave them equal scores).
Only four points separate the top three teams.
see separate/sort out the men from the boys at  man  n., sort out/separate the sheep from the goats at  sheep, sort out/separate the wheat from the chaff at  wheat
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin separat- ‘disjoined, divided’, from the verb separare, from se- ‘apart’ + parare ‘prepare’.  
Thesaurus:
separate verb
1. I, T
It is impossible to separate belief from emotion.
disentanglesort sth outfilter sth out|formal divorce
separate/disentangle/sort out/divorce sth from sth else
separate/disentangle the strands of sth
be totally/easily separated/divorced from sth
2. I, T
The war separated many families.
break (sth) upscatterisolatecut sb/sth off|written disperse|formal partdividesegregate
separate/isolate/cut off/part/divide/segregate sb/sth from sb/sth else
a crowd scatters/disperses/parts
3. T
A high wall separated the school from the park.
dividepartitionmark sth offfence sth offcordon sth offseal sth off
separate/divide/partition sth into different sections/areas
separate/divide/partition/mark off/fence off/cordon off/seal off an area
a wall separates/divides sth from sth else
4. I
He separated from his wife last year.
split (up)break updivorceget divorced
separate/split (up) from sb
split (up)/break up with sb
a couple separates/splits (up)/breaks up/divorces/gets divorced 
Word Family:
separate adjective
separately adverb
separable adjective (≠ inseparable)
separate verb
separated adjective
separation noun  
Collocations:
Marriage and divorce
Romance
fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with sb)
be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
be/find true love/the love of your life
suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for sb/sth
meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have/go on a (blind) date
be going out with/ (especially NAmE) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
Weddings
get/be engaged/married/divorced
arrange/plan a wedding
have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
have/enter into an arranged marriage
call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
invite sb to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
Separation and divorce
be unfaithful to/ (informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have an affair (with sb)
break off/end an engagement/a relationship
break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend
separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife
annul/dissolve a marriage
apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband) 
Example Bank:
A magnet separates out scrap iron from the rubbish.
He had recently separated from his wife.
I separated the documents into two piles.
It was impossible to separate the rival fans.
Mechanically separated meat made from cattle and sheep has now been banned.
One cannot easily separate moral, social and political issues.
She is separated from her husband.
Slave parents were forcibly separated from their children.
The boys are separated from the girls.
The disciplines of science and engineering are not always sharply separated.
The two groups became widely separated.
These two branches of the science have now become clearly separated.
an island resort totally separated from the mainland
A high wall separated our block from the playing field.
A thousand kilometres separate the two cities.
First, separate the eggs.
Politics is the only thing that separates us.
• The judges found it impossible to separate the two contestants.

• Two men separated from the others and walked towards me.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

separate / ˈsep. ə r.eɪt /   / -ə.reɪt / verb (RELATIONSHIP)

B2 [ I ] to start to live in a different place from your husband or wife because the relationship has ended:

My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

separate

 separates, separating, separated
 (The adjective and noun are pronounced [se̱pərət]. The verb is pronounced [se̱pəreɪt].)
 1) ADJ: oft ADJ from n If one thing is separate from another, there is a barrier, space, or division between them, so that they are clearly two things.
  Each villa has a separate sitting-room...
  They are now making plans to form their own separate party...
  Business bank accounts were kept separate from personal ones.
  Derived words:
  separateness N-UNCOUNT ...establishing Australia's cultural separateness from Britain.
 2) ADJ: usu ADJ n If you refer to separate things, you mean several different things, rather than just one thing.
  Use separate chopping boards for raw meats, cooked meats, vegetables and salads...
  Men and women have separate exercise rooms...
  The authorities say six civilians have been killed in two separate attacks.
  Syn:
  different
 3) V-RECIP-ERG If you separate people or things that are together, or if they separate, they move apart.
  [V pl-n] Police moved in to separate the two groups...
  [V n from n] The pans were held in both hands and swirled around to separate gold particles from the dirt...
  [V from n] The front end of the car separated from the rest of the vehicle...
  [pl-n V] They separated. Stephen returned to the square...
  [V-ed] They're separated from the adult inmates.
 4) V-RECIP-ERG If you separate people or things that have been connected, or if one separates from another, the connection between them is ended.
  [V n from n] They want to separate teaching from research...
  [V pl-n] It's very possible that we may see a movement to separate the two parts of the country...
  [V from n] He announced a new ministry to deal with Quebec's threat to separate from Canada. [Also pl-n V]
 5) V-RECIP If a couple who are married or living together separate, they decide to live apart.
  [pl-n V] Her parents separated when she was very young...
  [V from n] Since I separated from my husband I have gone a long way.
 6) VERB An object, obstacle, distance, or period of time which separates two people, groups, or things exists between them.
  [V n from n] ...the white-railed fence that separated the yard from the paddock.
  [V pl-n] ...although they had undoubtedly made progress in the six years that separated the two periods...
  [V pl-n] Rural communities are widely separated and often small...
  [get V-ed] But a group of six women and 23 children got separated from the others.
 7) VERB If you separate one idea or fact from another, you clearly see or show the difference between them.
  [V n from n] It is difficult to separate legend from truth.
  [V n from n] ...learning how to separate real problems from imaginary illnesses...
  [V pl-n] It is difficult to separate the two aims.
  Syn:
  distinguish
 PHRASAL VERB
 Separate out means the same as separate. V P n from n How can one ever separate out the act from the attitudes that surround it?
 8) VERB A quality or factor that separates one thing from another is the reason why the two things are different from each other.
  [V n from n] The single most important factor that separates ordinary photographs from good photographs is the lighting...
  [V n from n] What separates terrorism from other acts of violence?
  Syn:
  distinguish
 9) VERB If a particular number of points separate two teams or competitors, one of them is winning or has won by that number of points.
  [V pl-n] In the end only three points separated the two teams.
 10) V-ERG If you separate a group of people or things into smaller elements, or if a group separates, it is divided into smaller elements.
  [V n into n] The police wanted to separate them into smaller groups...
  [V n into n] Wallerstein's work can be separated into three main component themes...
  [V into n] Let's separate into smaller groups...
  So all the colours that make up white light are sent in different directions and they separate.
  Syn:
  split
 PHRASAL VERB
 Separate out means the same as separate. V P If prepared many hours ahead, the mixture may separate out.
 11) N-PLURAL Separates are clothes such as skirts, trousers, and shirts which cover just the top half or the bottom half of your body.
 12) → See also separated
 13) PHRASE: V inflects When two or more people who have been together for some time go their separate ways, they go to different places or end their relationship.
  Sue was 27 when she and her husband decided to go their separate ways.
 14) to separate the wheat from the chaffsee chaff
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - separate out

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

separate

2sep·a·rate /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/ verb -rates; -rat·ed; -rat·ing
1 [+ obj] : to cause (two or more people or things) to stop being together, joined, or connected : to make (people or things) separate
• He separated the fighters (from each other).
• They described the process used to separate cream from milk.
• (US) He fell and separated [=dislocated] his shoulder. [=caused the bone in his shoulder to move out of its proper position]
2 [+ obj] : to be between (two things or people)
• A river separates the two towns. = The two towns are separated by a river. [=there is a river between the two towns]
• A great distance separated the sisters from each other.
3 [no obj] : to stop being together, joined, or connected : to become separate
• They walked together to the corner, but then they separated and went their separate ways.
• The main group separated into several smaller groups.
• Oil and water separate when combined together.
• The oil separated from the water.
• The salt crystals separated out of the liquid.
4 [no obj] : to stop living with a husband, wife, or partner
• They separated six months after their wedding.
• She separated from her boyfriend last week.
5 [+ obj] : to see or describe the differences between (two things)
• We need to separate [=distinguish] fact and/from fiction.
6 [+ obj] : to be the quality that makes (people or things) different : differentiate
• Their personalities and political beliefs separate them.
• Our ability to reason is what separates us from animals.
7 [+ obj]
- used to describe how much difference there is in the scores or positions of people or teams in a race, game, etc.
• One goal separated the teams at the beginning of the third period.
• Polls show that the candidates are separated by only a narrow margin as the election approaches.
separate off [phrasal verb] separate (someone or something) off or separate off (someone or something) : to cause (someone or something) to be separate from other people or things
• He separated himself off from the crowd in the subway.
separate out [phrasal verb] separate out (someone or something) or separate (someone or something) out : to remove (someone or something) from a group
• Before you put out the trash, you have to separate out the bottles and cans.
• Most schools separate out children with learning problems.
separate the men from the boys : to show which people are really strong, brave, etc., and which are not
• The competition has been easy to this point, but now it gets tough and we'll really begin to separate the men from the boys.
separate the sheep from the goats or separate the wheat from the chaff chiefly Brit : to judge which people or things in a group are bad and which ones are good
• The magazine describes many different products and then separates the sheep from the goats.

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