1
a small thin sharp bit or wood or glass or metal
"he got a splinter in his finger"
"it broke into slivers"
2
A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
"He winced in pain after accidentally catching his finger on a rough tree branch that left him holding a painful splinter."
1
withdraw from an organization or communion
"After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away"
2
divide into slivers or splinters
"The old wooden fence began to rot and eventually splintered under the weight of the snow."
3
break up into splinters or slivers
"The wood splintered"
4
To come apart into long sharp fragments.
"The old wooden bench splintered under my weight, leaving a jagged shard of wood stuck in my thumb."
1
A surname.
"The local library was recently donated by Mr. Splinter, a longtime resident who had served on its board for decades."
Example Sentences
"he got a splinter in his finger"
noun
"it broke into slivers"
noun
"After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away"
verb
"The wood splintered"
verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Origin
The word comes from Middle English and Middle Dutch, where it originally meant a small piece broken off from a larger splint.