splinter

Plural: splinters

Noun

a small thin sharp bit or wood or glass or metal
- "he got a splinter in his finger"
A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
A small such fragment that gets embedded in the flesh.
A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership.
A double-jump bid which indicates shortage in the bid suit.
A fragment of a component word in a blend.

Verb

Verb Forms: splintered, splintering, splinters

To break into sharp, slender pieces.
withdraw from an organization or communion
divide into slivers or splinters
break up into splinters or slivers
- "The wood splintered"
To come apart into long sharp fragments.
To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments.
To break, or cause to break, into factions.
To fasten or confine with splinters, or splints, as a broken limb.

Examples

His perfect Scrabble strategy threatened to SPLINTER under the pressure of his opponent’s relentless attacks.
His third kick splintered the door.
The government splintered when the coalition members could not agree.
The tall tree splintered during the storm.
The unpopular new policies splintered the company.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint + -er.

Synonyms

break away, secede, sliver, faction, shard, spelk, spill, splinter group

Scrabble Score: 10

splinter: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
splinter: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
splinter: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

splinter: valid Words With Friends Word