splinter
/ˈsplɪntə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsplɪntər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsplin-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈsplɪn.tər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsplɪn.t̬ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
splinter — noun
- splintersingular
- splintersplural
1. a very thin, pointed fragment that has come away from a larger object made of wo
a very thin, pointed fragment that has come away from a larger object made of wood, bone, or similarly hard but brittle material — for example, the kind that can get stuck under your skin when you handle rough timber.
Owen pulled a splinter out of his thumb with a pair of tweezers.
collocation: pull / get / have a splinter (in body part)
Tiny splinters of glass were scattered across the kitchen floor after the bowl broke.
pattern: splinters of [material] + scattered/spread location
Sana warned the children not to walk barefoot on the old wooden deck because of the splinters.
A splinter from the broken chair leg lodged itself deep in Min's palm.
文法句型
a splinter of [material]
get a splinter in [body part]
用法筆記
Typically singular when describing one piece under the skin; plural when describing scattered fragments after something breaks. Object is usually concrete (wood, glass, bone, metal).
常見錯誤
splinter — verb
- splinterpresent simple I / you / we / they
- splinters3rd person singular
- splintering-ing form
- splinteredpast simple
1. to come apart, or to cause something to come apart, into long thin pointed bits
to come apart, or to cause something to come apart, into long thin pointed bits — typically what happens to wood, bone, or thin plastic when it is struck hard.
The wooden door splintered when the firefighter struck it with his axe.
intransitive: [object] splintered + cause clause
Lara's hockey stick splintered into three jagged pieces during the match against Toronto.
pattern: splinter into [N] pieces
The collision splintered the small boat's hull against the rocky shore.
Eli felt the chair leg splinter under his weight as he leaned back too far.
文法句型
[wood/bone] splintered
splinter into pieces
splinter on impact
用法筆記
Subject (intransitive) or object (transitive) is typically a hard but brittle material — wood, bone, thin plastic. Not used of glass, which uses 'shatter' instead. Distinguish from sense 2 by the literal, physical breakage.
常見錯誤
2. of a political party, religious community, or other organisation, to break up in
of a political party, religious community, or other organisation, to break up into rival smaller groups whose members no longer accept the leadership or direction of the original body.
The opposition party splintered into four rival groups before the November election.
pattern: [group] splintered into [N] groups
Naoko watched her local activist network splinter over disagreements about strategy.
pattern: splinter over [disputed issue]
A small group of senior members splintered off from the church last spring to form their own congregation.
Internal arguments about funding have splintered the climate coalition into competing camps.
文法句型
[group] splintered into [smaller groups]
splinter off (from)
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a human organisation — a party, movement, coalition, denomination, or alliance. Frequently followed by 'into' + the resulting fragments, or by 'off' when describing the breakaway group. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is figurative and never describes physical breakage.