spline

Meanings

Noun

• Long thin piece of metal or wood.
• A rectangular piece that fits grooves like key seats in a hub and a shaft, so that while the one may slide endwise on the other, both must revolve together.
• A flexible strip of metal or other material, that may be bent into a curve and used in a similar manner to a ruler to draw smooth curves between points.
• Any of a number of smooth curves used to join points.
• A strip of wood or other material inserted into grooves in each of two pieces of wood to provide additional surface for gluing.
• Ridges or teeth on a drive shaft that mesh with grooves in a mating piece and transfer torque to it, maintaining the angular correspondence between them.

Verb

• To smooth (a curve or surface) by means of a spline.
• To fit with a spline.
• To fasten to or together with a spline.

Origin

• Mid-1700s East Anglian dialect. Origin uncertain but perhaps from Old Danish splind or North Frisian splinj and ultimately related to the root of splinter.