slivers

IPA/ˈslɪv.ər/

KK[slˈɪvɚz]IPA/ˈslɪv.ɚ/

sliverssingular
sliversesplural

1.nounB2

Definition

a very small, thin piece of something — for example food, soap, or a hard material — that has broken away or been cut from a larger piece

Example

After the carpenter finished, Ilan swept up the wooden slivers from the floor.

slivers of wood from carpentry

Rania found a tiny sliver of glass stuck in her shoe after the window broke.

a sliver of [material] for specifying substance

Common collocations

a sliver of glass/wood/metal/pottery
a sliver of cake/cheese/soap
slivers of light/moonlight/sunlight
a sliver of hope/truth
pull out a sliver
tiny slivers
sharp slivers

Synonyms

splinter
used almost only for wood; implies a long, thin, pointed piece
shard
used for broken glass, pottery, or metal; typically larger and not necessarily long and thin
fragment
a broader term for any broken piece, regardless of shape or size
shred
used for paper, cloth, or other thin flexible materials torn into strips

Grammar Patterns

a sliver of [material]

Usage Note

Used literally for a thin piece of any material — hard (a sliver of glass/wood/metal) or soft (a sliver of cake/cheese/soap). Used figuratively for a small, narrow amount or beam of something — for example, a sliver of moonlight/sunlight, or a sliver of hope/truth.

Common Mistakes

The glass broke into a sliver.

The glass broke into slivers.

'sliver' names a single piece; use the plural when referring to many tiny pieces.

sliverspresent simple I / you / we / they
sliverses3rd person singular
sliversing-ing form
sliversedpast simple

1.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to cut or divide something such as food or plant material into very small, thin pieces with a knife or blade

Example

The chef slivered the almonds before sprinkling them over the warm salad.

slivered almonds — common collocation in cooking

Jisoo carefully slivered the bamboo stalks to make thin strips for weaving a basket.

sliver + [material] + into [result]

Common collocations

slivered almonds
slivered garlic
sliver bamboo/wood
finely slivered
sliver into thin strips

Synonyms

shave
implies cutting very thin layers off a surface, not necessarily into narrow pieces
slice thinly
a more general phrase; 'slice' does not suggest the pieces are as small or narrow as slivers
splinter
suggests breaking rather than cutting, usually for wood

Grammar Patterns

sliver + [food/material] + (into + [resulting shape])

Usage Note

Transitive — requires a direct object. Most common in cooking contexts (slivered almonds, slivered garlic) and craft settings. The past form 'slivered' is also used as an adjective: 'slivered almonds'.

Common Mistakes

The knife slivered the bread.

The knife slivered the almonds.

'sliver' means to cut into very small, thin pieces, not just to slice. Bread would become crumbs, not slivers.

2.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to break or split apart into small, thin pieces, usually because of age, dryness, or impact

Example

The old wooden handle slivered after years of hot, dry weather in the shed.

intransitive: material slivers from age/weather

When Romi dropped the ceramic bowl on the tiles, it slivered into sharp little pieces.

Synonyms

splinter
the most common word for wood breaking into thin pieces; can be both transitive and intransitive
crack
suggests a split or line opening up, not necessarily into separate pieces
fracture
more formal and general term for breaking, used across many materials

Grammar Patterns

[material] + slivers + (into + pieces)

Usage Note

Intransitive — the object undergoing the splitting is the subject. No direct object follows. Common with materials that become brittle: old wood, dried bamboo, aged plastic.

Common Mistakes

He slivered the knife blade.

The knife blade slivered when it hit the concrete floor.

In the intransitive sense, the material breaks on its own; you cannot 'sliver something' to mean cause it to sliver.

Word family

sliver
nounB2
sliver
verbC1
slivered
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words all name a piece broken off a larger object, but they differ in shape, material, and use. A sliver is thin, narrow, and often long — the word emphasises the shape (thin like a small strip) more than the material. A splinter is a thin, sharp piece of wood that gets stuck in skin; it is the most specific of the group and almost always means wood. A shard is a piece of broken glass, pottery, or metal — it can be any shape but tends to be thicker and sharper than a sliver. A fragment is the most general word: any broken piece of any material, no particular shape implied. A shred is a long, thin strip torn from something flexible like paper, cloth, or plastic. For example, you pick a splinter out of your finger, step on a shard of a broken bottle, find a fragment of an ancient vase, tear a letter into shreds, and sweep slivers of wood off the workbench.

sliver ↗splinter ↗shardfragment ↗shred ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

break into slivers
cut into slivers
a sliver of

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'sliver' comes from Middle English 'slivere', meaning a splinter or small piece split off. It is related to the Old English verb 'slīfan' (to split or cleave) and to the modern English word 'splinter', which shares the same Germanic root. The verb form appeared later, developed from the noun in the 1700s.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb

Entries near

Previous entries

Next entries

slivers

slivers — noun

1. a very small, thin piece of something — for example food, soap, or a hard materi

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

slivers — verb

1. to cut or divide something such as food or plant material into very small, thin

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to break or split apart into small, thin pieces, usually because of age, dryness

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Entries near

Entries near