n. & v.
n. 1 a a strip of rigid material used for holding a broken bone etc. when set. b a rigid or flexible strip of esp. wood used in basketwork etc. 2 a tumour or bony excrescence on the inside of a horse's leg. 3 a thin strip of wood etc. used to light a fire, pipe, etc. 4 = splint-bone.
v.tr. secure (a broken limb etc.) with a splint or splints. splint-bone 1 either of two small bones in a horse's foreleg lying behind and close to the cannon-bone. 2 the human fibula. splint-coal hard bituminous laminated coal burning with great heat.
[ ME splent(e) f. MDu. splinte or MLG splinte, splente metal plate or pin, rel. to SPLINTER ]