splinter
pronunciation
How to pronounce splinter in British English:
UK [ˈsplɪntə(r)]
How to pronounce splinter in American English:
US [ˈsplɪntɚ]
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- Noun:
- a small thin sharp bit or wood or glass or metal
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- Verb:
- withdraw from an organization or communion
- divide into slivers or splinters
- break up into splinters or slivers
Word Origin
- splinter (n.)
- early 14c., from Middle Dutch splinter, splenter "a splinter," related to splinte (see splint). The adjective (in splinter party, etc.) is first recorded 1935, from the noun.
- splinter (v.)
- 1580s (transitive), from splinter (n.). Figurative sense from c. 1600. Intransitive use from 1620s. Middle English had splinder (v.) "to shatter" (of a spear, etc.), mid-15c. Related: Splintered; splintering.
Example
- 1. If we tried to overthrow qaddafi by force , our coalition would splinter .
- 2. Decades of insurgency have created splinter movements , violent mafia rackets and clan rivalries .
- 3. In 2012 the battle will become a lot more complicated , as the politicians splinter into factions .
- 4. With an al-qaida splinter group thought to be behind the kidnapping , we are reminded afresh that the jihadist threat is real and must be taken seriously .
- 5. If phone makers do too much tinkering and customization , android could splinter into many different versions , none of them completely compatible with the others .