mi-parti

Meanings

1. Vertically divided into distinctly-coloured or patterned halves; party per pale.

1. A garment vertically divided into two distinctly-coloured or patterned halves.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from French mi-parti (literally “divided down the middle”), from Middle French mi-parti, from Old French miparti, past participle of mipartir (“to split in half”), from mi (“middle”) + partir (“to split”); compare medial and party (“divided”). Though the term is mentioned beginning in the 17th century, actual use is apparently only recorded from the 19th century onwards.