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.
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Etymology: ME splent(e) f. MDu. splinte or MLG splinte, splente metal plate or pin, rel. to SPLINTER