segregate
segregate — verb
1. to put or keep something in a separate place from other things, so that differen
to put or keep something in a separate place from other things, so that different types do not mix or touch each other.
The hospital segregates patients with infectious diseases from the general ward.
segregate + object + from + noun phrase
In the recycling plant, glass bottles are segregated by colour before processing.
passive: be segregated by [criteria]
The lab technician segregated the blood samples into separate tubes for testing.
Kitchen waste should be segregated from recyclable materials in every household.
文法句型
segregate + object + from + noun phrase
be segregated from
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the passive voice when describing routine sorting processes (be segregated by, be segregated from). The object is typically materials, waste, or data — not people, unless extended metaphorically.
常見錯誤
2. to force a particular group of people to live, work, or study apart from others
to force a particular group of people to live, work, or study apart from others and treat them unfairly, especially because of their race, religion, or sex.
Until the 1960s, many schools in the southern United States were segregated by law.
passive: be segregated by law
The policy segregated women into lower-paying jobs with fewer opportunities for promotion.
segregate + group + into + noun phrase
Amani's grandfather grew up in a neighbourhood where housing was segregated along racial lines.
The court ruled that the city had illegally segregated Roma children in its primary schools.
Activists fought to end the practice of segregating bus passengers by skin colour.
文法句型
be segregated + by + race/gender/religion
segregate + group + from + another group
用法筆記
This sense carries strong negative moral and legal implications. It almost always describes an unjust or discriminatory practice. In historical writing, the passive construction (be segregated by law / by race) is common. Avoid using this sense lightly for non-social types of separation — use 'separate' instead to prevent unintended political overtones.
常見錯誤
3. (in genetics) to describe how paired genes separate from each other when cells d
(in genetics) to describe how paired genes separate from each other when cells divide to form reproductive cells, so each reproductive cell receives only one copy of each gene.
As cells form eggs or sperm, paired gene copies segregate so each sex cell gets one.
segregate + so that + clause (result)
Mendel proved that pea colour genes segregate separately from shape genes, producing both yellow wrinkled and green smooth peas.
If a chromosome pair fails to segregate during egg formation, the baby may be born with Down syndrome.
In fruit fly crosses, the white-eye gene segregated with male flies, so only males had white eyes.
文法句型
alleles + segregate + during + noun phrase
segregate + into + gametes
用法筆記
Strictly a technical term in genetics and cell biology. The subject is always paired genetic units (alleles, genes, chromosomes), and the process takes place during meiosis. The intransitive use ('alleles segregate') is the standard form; transitive use ('the cell segregates the alleles') is rare and considered less precise.
常見錯誤
4. to leave a larger group, mass, or main body and gather in a separate smaller gro
to leave a larger group, mass, or main body and gather in a separate smaller group.
Several members segregated from the main committee to form a new group.
segregate from [group] + to + infinitive
In times of danger, some animals segregate from the herd to draw predators away.
The conservative wing segregated from the main party during the leadership vote.
When left to sit, the oil in a salad dressing segregates from the vinegar and rises to the top.
文法句型
segregate + from + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense describes a spontaneous or natural splitting apart, without the element of force or discrimination present in sense 2. It is frequently used in geology and materials science (minerals segregating from a melt) as well as social or organisational contexts.
常見錯誤
segregate — noun
1. a person who has been separated from the rest of society or from a larger group,
a person who has been separated from the rest of society or from a larger group, especially as a result of discriminatory policies.
Under South Africa's apartheid system, a child classified as a segregate could not attend a school for white children.
classified as a segregate
Under Jim Crow, a person labelled a segregate could not vote in a white person's booth.
In the Brown v. Board of Education case, lawyers argued the label of segregate harmed Black children's sense of self-worth.
Under apartheid, every Black South African registered as a segregate had to carry a passbook or risk arrest.
用法筆記
This noun is uncommon in everyday speech. It appears mainly in historical writing, legal documents, and sociology. The more common noun forms are 'segregation' (the practice) and 'segregationist' (a person who supports segregation).