What does divvying mean?
"Divvying" is the present participle of the informal verb "divvy," which means to divide or share something out among people — most often money, food, work, or responsibilities. In modern usage the word almost invariably appears with the particle "up," as in "divvying up the bill" or "divvying up the chores," though "out" occasionally serves the same role. Derived from an American slang shortening of "dividend" in the mid-nineteenth century, the word carries a distinctly casual, conversational tone: one might divvy up pizza slices among friends or divvy up tasks on a group project, but a court would more formally apportion assets. Despite its folksy origins, "divvying" has become thoroughly standard in everyday speech and journalism across both Britain and the United States, prized for its breezy efficiency where words like "distribute" or "allocate" sound stiff. Its enduring popularity reflects a simple truth: splitting things fairly is a universal human activity that deserves its own friendly verb.
verb (present participle of 'divvy')The act of dividing or sharing something out, typically money, food, work, or responsibilities. It is the present participle of the informal verb 'divvy', usually followed by 'up' (as in 'divvying up the winnings').
- Dividing or sharing something into portions, especially money, food, or tasks (almost always with 'up' or 'out').
- By extension, allocating or assigning duties or blame among a group.
"After the garage sale, the sisters spent the evening divvying up the profits."
"The roommates spent Sunday night divvying up the household chores on a whiteboard."
"With the estate settled at last, the heirs began divvying out their grandfather's book collection."
Born in 19th-century American slang from 'dividend', this humble little word now does the heavy lifting whenever friends split a bill — no accountant required.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of divvying
The verb "divvy" originated as American slang in the mid-nineteenth century, formed by clipping "dividend," the portion of profit distributed to shareholders. From the outset it meant dividing something into shares, and it spread quickly through colloquial speech before crossing the Atlantic to British English. Today the clipped form "divvy" is the only surviving trace of that origin in common use, always paired with "up" or "out" when describing the act of sharing things out.
Related word forms
How divvying is actually used
Informal and conversational in register; it would sound out of place in formal legal or academic writing, where 'apportioning' or 'allocating' would be preferred. The verb almost never appears without the particle 'up' or occasionally 'out'. The noun 'divvy' meaning a share is older and now rare; today 'divvy' survives mainly as a verb. Common throughout the English-speaking world, though it retains a slightly casual, folksy flavor.
Easily confused with divvying
'Skivvying' means doing menial domestic chores (chiefly British), while 'divvying' means dividing something into shares.