Dictionary

hive off en · VERB

Etymology

Likely from the way a swarm of bees splits off from one hive to establish a second hive.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To separate from a larger group.
2. (transitive) To segregate; to remove from a parent entity.
   • If the Government believes that part of the railways' salvation is to be found in ridding them of extraneous concerns, it should have had the courage either to close the railway works down as quickly as possible, or to hive them off as an entirely separate concern, [...]. 1964 May, “News and Comment: Minister hamstrings BR workshops”, in Modern Railways, page 291:
   • Completed by the London & Southern [sic: South] Western Railway in 1898, the W&C was part of British Rail until hived off in 1994. It is physically isolated from the rest of the Underground. 2021 June 16, “Network News: Waterloo & City reopens ahead of schedule”, in RAIL, number 933, page 24:
   • The plan involves banks hiving off bad assets and investors buying them at a discount on hopes of turning a profit over time. 2009 March 25, Felicity Williams, Fleur Leyden, “Commodities rally in big price rout”, in Herald Sun, archived from the original on 27 Mar 2009:

Forms

Deriveds

hive-off

Synonyms

branch off · fork off · split off

Translations (3)

de ausgründen (separate from a larger group) · pt decepar (separate from a larger group) · pl odłączyć (separate from a larger group)