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Spline

//splaɪn// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A long, thin piece of metal or wood.
  2. 2
    a thin strip (wood or metal) wordnet
  3. 3
    A strip of wood or other material inserted into grooves in each of two pieces of wood to provide additional surface for gluing.
  4. 4
    a flexible strip (wood or rubber) used in drawing curved lines wordnet
  5. 5
    A flexible strip of metal or other material, that may be bent into a curve and used in a similar manner to a ruler to draw smooth curves between points.
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  1. 6
    Any of a number of smooth curves used to join points.

    "However, it should be possible to give more sophisticated spherical spline curves based on the de Castaljau method that are computed using multiple slerps between pairs of points and which work well for arbitrary knot positions (indeed, knot insertion methods for spline curves should suffice for this, cf Farin [1993])"

  2. 7
    A ridge or tooth on a drive shaft that meshes with a corresponding groove in a mating piece and transfers torque to it, maintaining the angular correspondence between the pieces; either the ridge or the groove, as part of a set of both (splines); the whole set of ridges and grooves.
  3. 8
    A rectangular piece that fits grooves like key seats in a hub and a shaft, so that while the one may slide endwise on the other, both must revolve together.

    "Near-synonym: feather"

Verb
  1. 1
    To smooth (a curve or surface) by means of a spline.
  2. 2
    To fit with a spline.

    "Machining a straight spline with a lathe. Sometimes the task of splining a shaft comes up during a repair. Instead of sending out the job, use this setup to mill the splines on a lathe."

  3. 3
    To fasten to or together with a spline.

    "Engineers did not think two crankshafts could be synchronized. Wood, by splining the shafts in each gear box, proved it could be done."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Mid-1700s East Anglian dialect. Origin uncertain but perhaps from Old Danish splind or North Frisian splinj and ultimately related to the root of splinter.

Etymology 2

Mid-1700s East Anglian dialect. Origin uncertain but perhaps from Old Danish splind or North Frisian splinj and ultimately related to the root of splinter.

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