n. & v.
n. 1 a long thin piece cut or split off. 2 a piece of wood torn from a tree or from timber. 3 a splinter, esp. from an exploded shell. 4 a strip of loose textile fibres after carding.
v.tr. & intr. 1 break off as a sliver. 2 break up into slivers. 3 form into slivers.
[ ME, rel. to slive cleave (now dial.) f. OE ]