Definition of Splinter

1. Noun. A small thin sharp bit or wood or glass or metal. "It broke into slivers"

Exact synonyms: Sliver
Generic synonyms: Bit, Chip, Flake, Fleck, Scrap
Derivative terms: Sliver, Sliver, Slivery, Splintery, Splintery

2. Verb. Withdraw from an organization or communion. "The girls splinter the wooden sticks"; "After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away"
Exact synonyms: Break Away, Secede
Generic synonyms: Break, Break Up, Part, Separate, Split, Split Up
Derivative terms: Breakaway, Secession

3. Verb. Divide into slivers or splinters. "The wooden sticks splinter "
Exact synonyms: Sliver
Generic synonyms: Carve Up, Dissever, Divide, Separate, Split, Split Up
Derivative terms: Sliver, Splintering

4. Verb. Break up into splinters or slivers. ; "The wood splintered"
Exact synonyms: Sliver
Generic synonyms: Break Up, Fragment, Fragmentise, Fragmentize
Derivative terms: Sliver

Definition of Splinter

1. v. t. To split or rend into long, thin pieces; to shiver; as, the lightning splinters a tree.

2. v. i. To become split into long pieces.

3. n. A thin piece split or rent off lengthwise, as from wood, bone, or other solid substance; a thin piece; a sliver; as, splinters of a ship's mast rent off by a shot.

Definition of Splinter

1. Noun. A long, sharp fragment of material; often wood. ¹

2. Noun. A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership. ¹

3. Verb. (intransitive) To come apart into long sharp fragments. ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments. ¹

5. Verb. (figuratively of a group) To break, or cause to break, into factions. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Splinter

1. to split into sharp, slender pieces [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Splinter

1. 1. To split or rend into long, thin pieces; to shiver; as, the lightning splinters a tree. "After splintering their lances, they wheeled about, and . . . Abandoned the field to the enemy." (Prescott) 2. To fasten or confine with splinters, or splints, as a broken limb. Origin: Cf. LG. Splittern, splinteren. See Splint, Split. A thin piece split or rent off lengthwise, as from wood, bone, or other solid substance; a thin piece; a sliver; as, splinters of a ship's mast rent off by a shot. Splinter bar. A crossbar in a coach, which supports the springs. The bar to which the traces are attached; a roller bolt; a whiffletree. See: Splinter, or Splint. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Splinter

splicing endonuclease
splicings
splicosome
splif
spliff
spliffs
splifs
spline
splined
splines
splining
splint
splint bone
splinted
splinted abutment
splinter (current term)
splinter bar
splinter bars
splinter group
splinter groups
splinter haemorrhages
splinter parties
splinter party
splinter up
splintered
splintered fracture
splintering
splinterings
splinterless
splinterlike

Literary usage of Splinter

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Dictionary of English Etymology by Hensleigh Wedgwood, John Christopher Atkinson (1872)
"The primitive type of a blade or implement for digging would be a splinter of flint or piece of cleft wood, as shown in G. ..."

2. A Dictionary of English Etymology by Hensleigh Wedgwood, John Christopher Atkinson (1872)
"There is no doubt that the foregoing forms signifying a splinter or ... The radical meaning of spatula, as shown under Spade, is a splinter or piece of ..."

3. A Dictionary of English Etymology by Hensleigh Wedgwood (1865)
"Hence may be explained the relation of Bret. sldn, dispersion, as well as of G. sel,iene (mentioned under Shin), a shiver, splinter, to E. shine. ..."

Other Resources:

Search for Splinter on Dictionary.com!Search for Splinter on Thesaurus.com!Search for Splinter on Google!Search for Splinter on Wikipedia!

Search