splinter

Meanings

Noun

• A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
• A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership.
• A double-jump bid which indicates shortage in the bid suit.

Verb

• To come apart into long sharp fragments.
• To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments.
• To break, or cause to break, into factions.
• To fasten or confine with splinters, or splints, as a broken limb.

Related

Similar words

• shard, spelk, spill.
• faction, splinter group.

Origin

• From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint + -er.
• From the noun splinter.