tetrachotomy

English

Etymology

From τέτραχα (tétrakha, “quadripartite”) + τόμος (tómos, “slice, piece”) (from τέμνω (témnō, “I cut”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: tĕtrəkŏʹtəmĭ, IPA^(key): /tɛtɹəˈkɒtəmɪ/

Noun

tetrachotomy (plural tetrachotomies)

1. Division of a whole into four parts.
2. (logic) Quaternary classification.
3. tetralemma

Coordinate terms

• monochotomy (rare)
• dichotomy
• pentachotomy
• hexachotomy (rare)
• heptachotomy
• octachotomy
• decachotomy
• polychotomy

Derived terms

• tetrachotomous

References

• “tetraˈchotomy, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]