seg ‧ re ‧ gate /ˈseɡrɪɡeɪt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive , usually passive]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of segregare , from se- 'apart' + grex 'herd' ]
1 . to separate one group of people from others, especially because they are of a different race, sex, or religion OPP integrate
segregate somebody from somebody
Blacks were segregated from whites in schools.
2 . to separate one part of a place or thing from another
segregate something from/into something
The coffee room had been segregated into smoking and non-smoking areas.
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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.
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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.
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The money was divided between them.
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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.
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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.
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Some prisons segregate prisoners who are infected with HIV.