n.
- A sharp, slender piece, as of wood, bone, glass, or metal, split or broken off from a main body.
- A splinter group.
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
To split or break into sharp, slender pieces; form splinters. See synonyms at break.
v.tr.
To cause to splinter.
[Middle English, from Middle Dutch.]
splintery splin'ter·y adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
