n. & v.
n. 1 a the legal dissolution of a marriage. b a legal decree of this. 2 a severance or separation (a divorce between thought and feeling).
v. 1 a tr. (usu. as divorced adj.) (often foll. by from) legally dissolve the marriage of (a divorced couple; he wants to get divorced from her). b intr. separate by divorce (they divorced last year). c tr. end one's marriage with (divorced him for neglect). 2 tr. (often foll. by from) detach, separate (divorced from reality). 3 tr. archaic dissolve (a union). divorcement n.
[ ME f. OF divorce (n.), divorcer (v.) f. LL divortiare f. L divortium f. divortere (as DI-(2), vertere turn) ]