flinders

¹

[ flin-derz ]

plural noun

1. splinters; small pieces or fragments.

Flinders

²

[ flin-derz ]

noun

1. Matthew, 1774–1814, English navigator and explorer: surveyed coast of Australia.
2. a river in NE Australia, flowing NW to the Gulf of Carpentaria. 520 miles (837 km) long.

flinders

/ ˈflɪndəz /

plural noun

1. rare.
   small fragments or splinters (esp in the phrase fly into flinders )

Word History and Origins

Origin of flinders¹

1400–50; late Middle English flendris, perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian flindra splinter; perhaps akin to flint

Word History and Origins

Origin of flinders¹

C15: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian flindra thin piece of stone

Example Sentences

The infinite threatened to make all motion impossible, while the void threatened to smash the nutshell universe into a thousand flinders.

From Literature

Tiwanaku split into flinders that would not be united for another four centuries, when the Inka swept them up.

From Literature

“Blow out your light and get lost in the black, or leave it bum and blow the whole place to flinders. That’s more frightening than any demon.”

From Literature

He laughed and fired again, and one last tower, one last chess piece, took fire, ignited, and in blue flinders went up to the stars.

From Literature

A stack of old Washington Post stories on the District’s street nomenclature had been reduced to flinders.

From Washington Post