Splinter
/ˈsplɪntər/
nounverbB2
Definition
As a noun, a splinter is a tiny, sharp piece that breaks off from something bigger, like wood or glass. It can hurt if it goes into your skin. As a verb, to splinter means to break into many small, sharp pieces or to separate into smaller groups.
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See It in Action
Noun: A small, thin, sharp piece broken off from a larger object
- •I got a splinter in my finger while handling the wooden box.
- •Be careful with that old chair; it has many splinters.
- •She removed the glass splinter carefully from her hand.
Verb: To break or separate into small, sharp pieces or groups
- •The wooden plank splintered when it hit the ground.
- •The group splintered into smaller teams after the meeting.
- •The glass splintered into tiny pieces after the fall.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "splinter" like "piece," but a very small, sharp piece that can hurt you.
- ✓Picture a thin, tiny sharp wood chip stuck in your finger after touching a wooden fence.
- ✓It’s the uncomfortable feeling when you accidentally get a tiny sharp piece under your skin.
- ✓Sounds like "split-ter" → imagine something splitting into many tiny sharp parts.
- ✓Think of a wooden chair breaking and creating many small sharp bits.
- ✓NOT like "chip" (which can be flat and not always sharp), "splinter" is thin and sharp.
- ✓NOT like "break" (general), "splinter" means breaking into many small, sharp parts.
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "crack" (a line), but "splinter" means breaking apart into pieces.
Try Other Words
- •Fragment: a small broken part of something (Use when the piece is not necessarily sharp or thin)
- •Shard: a sharp piece of broken glass or pottery (Use when talking specifically about glass or ceramics)
- •Break apart: to separate into pieces (Use as a verb for general breaking without the sharp or small meaning)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "splint" (a thin piece of wood) + suffix "-er" (something that results from splitting)
- •Etymology: From Old English "splinter," meaning a small piece of wood broken off
- •Historical development: Originally used for small wood pieces, now also for any small sharp broken piece
- •Modern usage: Used both as noun (small sharp piece) and verb (to break into small pieces or groups)
- •Common in everyday language for accidents and breaking objects
Reflect & Connect
•Have you ever had a splinter? How did you feel and what did you do to remove it?
•How can the idea of "splintering" apply to groups of people or ideas, not just physical objects?
Fill in the blanks
1.When you touch rough wood, you might get a splinter ___ your skin that causes pain.
2.The old chair splintered ___ when someone sat on it too hard.
3.Unlike a chip, a splinter is usually ___ and sharp enough to hurt.
4.After the argument, the team splintered ___ smaller groups with different opinions.
5.She carefully removed the splinter ___ her finger with tweezers.
6.The glass did not just break but splintered ___ many tiny sharp pieces.
7.A splinter often comes from wood or glass, but it can also describe ___ groups or ideas breaking apart.