sliver

[ sliv-er ]

noun

1. a small, slender, often sharp piece, as of wood or glass, split, broken, or cut off, usually lengthwise or with the grain; splinter.
2. any small, narrow piece or portion:

   A sliver of sky was visible.

3. a strand of loose, untwisted fibers produced in carding.

verb (used with object)

1. to split or cut off (a sliver) or to split or cut into slivers:

   to sliver a log into kindling.

2. to form (textile fibers) into slivers.

verb (used without object)

1. to split.

sliver

/ ˈslɪvə /

noun

1. a thin piece that is cut or broken off lengthwise; splinter
2. a loose strand or fibre obtained by carding

verb

1. to divide or be divided into splinters; split
2. tr to form (wool, etc) into slivers

Derived Forms

• ˈsliver-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• sliver·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sliver¹

1325–75; Middle English slivere (noun), derivative of sliven to split, Old English -slīfan (in tōslīfan to split up

Word History and Origins

Origin of sliver¹

C14: from sliven to split

Example Sentences

The incentives would apply in single-family zones only if a property is owned by a public agency or a faith-based organization, which accounts for just a sliver of the city’s single-family lots.

From Los Angeles Times

In October, more than 100 McDonald’s customers were sickened by an E. coli outbreak in the U.S. linked to slivered onions.

From Los Angeles Times

The E. coli cases linked to carrots comes after another high-profile outbreak in the US, related to slivered onions on some McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers.

From BBC

The biomedical agencies in Kennedy’s sights are just a small sliver of the huge HHS budget, more than 90% of which goes to mandatory programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act programs.

From Science Magazine

Facing his old team could provide a sliver of extra motivation for a player who already seems like a man on a mission.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flake
• fragment
• shaving
• shred
• slice
• snippet