I. ˈsplintə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle Dutch splinter, splenter; akin to Middle Low German splinte, splente splint — more at splint
1.
a.
(1) : a thin often jagged or needlelike piece split or rent off lengthwise : sliver , chip , fragment
gloves … protect a worker from sharp steel splinters — Michael Cawley
the steering wheel … was knocked into splinters by an enemy shot — Edward Breck
(2) : a small jagged or needlelike particle or flash
flying splinters of ice — William Beebe
irradiated for a moment now and then by splinters shooting through the darkness — E.K.Brown
b. : a usually small group or faction broken away from an organization or body : a dissident faction
this process does seem to split up the whole religious group into many splinters — J.O.Nelson
2. : splint
3. : a minute, worthless, or insignificant piece or object
carped at lesser breeds who failed in some splinter of the religious law — Interpreter's Bible
contributed various splinters of hackwork — Clifton Fadiman
no mere splinter of a peak, but a majestic mountain — Claudia Cassidy
II. verb
( splintered ; splintered ; splintering -ntəriŋ, -n.triŋ ; splinters )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to split, rend, or break into long thin pieces : shiver , shatter
the walls were splintered by the explosion
b. : to split into fragments, parts, or factions
liberal opinion … was marshaled, integrated, and effective; it is splintered now — G.W.Johnson
ownership has been splintered into so many tiny and inadequate parcels — J.D.McGoldrick
2. obsolete : splint
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to become split into long pieces : become shivered
heard the thud of hooves lashing out and timbers splintering — Robinson Jeffers
b.
(1) : to become split into factions
the politicians hope the veterans splinter and never wield their strength together — J.B.Martin
(2) : to break away from an organization or entity : secede
will splinter off to form a third party — Newsweek
2. : to fall or proceed in splinters
the rain was splintering, half frozen, against the kitchen window — Marjorie Housepian
III. adjective
: of, relating to, belonging to, cast for, endorsed by, or being a faction or body broken away or independent from an original, larger, or primary organization or entity : factional
splinter party
splinter group
plagued by splinter politics — Economist
the splinter votes … are considerably dispersed — Irving Kolodin