In the prac-tice of appellate courts, this term denotes such a disagreement amoug the judges that there is not a majority in favor of uuy one view, and hence uo decision can be rendered on the case. But it sometimes also denotes a division into two classes, one of which may comprise a majority of the Judges ; as •when we speak of a decision having proceed-ed from a “divided court.”
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
