sliver
/ˈslɪvə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈslɪvər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsli-vər sense 2 is usually ˈslī-/ (ame, mw)
sliver — noun
- sliversingular
- sliversplural
1. a narrow, thin piece of something that has broken away or been cut from a larger
a narrow, thin piece of something that has broken away or been cut from a larger object, often made of wood, glass, or metal
Wei found a sliver of glass in his sock after walking across the kitchen floor.
sliver + of + [material] for thin broken pieces
The carpenter pulled a long sliver of oak from his palm with tweezers.
A sharp sliver of metal had lodged itself under the mechanic's fingernail.
用法筆記
Often used with 'of' followed by a material noun (wood, glass, metal) to specify what the piece is made from.
常見錯誤
2. a very small part, share, or amount of something, such as time, hope, or control
a very small part, share, or amount of something, such as time, hope, or control
After months of searching, the family held onto a sliver of hope that their dog would come home.
figurative: sliver of hope / sliver of [abstract noun]
The new company captured only a sliver of the online shopping market in its first year.
A sliver of moonlight came through the gap in the curtains while the children slept.
- majority
more than half; the opposite of a small portion
用法筆記
This sense is figurative and works with abstract nouns (hope, chance, power) as well as concrete nouns denoting light or space (moonlight, land).
常見錯誤
sliver — verb
- sliverpresent simple I / you / we / they
- slivers3rd person singular
- slivering-ing form
- sliveredpast simple
1. to cut or break something, especially wood or a hard material, into long thin pi
to cut or break something, especially wood or a hard material, into long thin pieces
The chef slivered the carrots into thin strips before adding them to the salad.
sliver + object + into + [shape/result]
Aoi slivered the bamboo stalks with a sharp knife to make weaving strips for her basket.
The machine slivered the logs into fine pieces for the paper factory.
文法句型
sliver + object + into + noun
用法筆記
Commonly used in cooking (cutting vegetables into thin strips) and woodworking. The past participle 'slivered' is frequently used as an adjective (slivered almonds).
2. to break or split apart into long thin pieces, usually as a result of force or a
to break or split apart into long thin pieces, usually as a result of force or age
The old wooden fence began to sliver after years of rain and sun.
intransitive: material + slivers + [time/cause]
Dry bamboo tends to sliver when you try to cut it with a blunt blade.
Cheap chopsticks often sliver apart during use, leaving tiny pieces of wood in the food.
用法筆記
This intransitive sense is much less common than the transitive sense. It describes natural or accidental breaking rather than deliberate cutting.