SLIVER

I. noun Etymology: Middle English ~e, from sliven to slice off, from Old English -slīfan; akin to Old English -slǣfan to cut Date: 14th century 1. a long slender piece cut or torn off ; splinter , a small and narrow portion , particle , scrap , an untwisted strand or rope of textile fiber produced by a carding or combing machine and ready for drawing, roving, or spinning, II. verb (~ed; ~ing) Date: 1605 transitive verb to cut into ~s ; splinter , intransitive verb to become split into ~s