I. splin ‧ ter 1 /ˈsplɪntə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Middle Dutch ]
a small sharp piece of wood, glass, or metal, that has broken off a larger piece:
I’ve got a splinter in my finger.
splinter of
splinters of glass
—splintery adjective
II. splinter 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
1 . if something such as wood splinters, or if you splinter it, it breaks into thin sharp pieces
2 . to separate into smaller groups or parts, or to make a group or organization do this, especially because of a disagreement
splinter into
The once-powerful Communist Party has splintered into hundreds of pieces.