What does "splint" mean?
A narrow strip of wood split or peeled from a larger piece.
Splint
/splɪnt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A narrow strip of wood split or peeled from a larger piece.
- Grammar: splint is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ace bandage, adhesive tape, application, band.
- Useful contrasts: detach, flexibility, loosen.
- Usage evidence: If the torque is too high, the shaft might break. That's why we are using a shear splint as a torque limiter.
How to use "splint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "splint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "splint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "splint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "splint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "splint" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ace bandage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "splint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A narrow strip of wood split or peeled from a larger piece.
- 2 an orthopedic mechanical device used to immobilize and protect a part of the body (as a broken leg) wordnet
- 3 A narrow strip of wood split or peeled from a larger piece.; A splinter caught in the skin. West-Midlands
- 4 a thin sliver of wood wordnet
- 5 A dental device applied consequent to undergoing orthodontia.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A device to immobilize a body part.
"[...] I saw in the white men's ward that little chap tossing on his back, with his arm in splints, and quite light-headed."
- 7 A segment of armour consisting of a narrow overlapping plate. historical
"The fore-part of his thighs, where the folds of his mantle permitted them to be seen, were also covered with linked mail; the knees and feet were defended by splints, or thin plates of steel, ingeniously jointed upon each other; and mail hose, reaching from the ancle to the knee, effectually protected the legs, and completed the rider's defensive armour."
- 8 Synonym of splent coal.
- 9 A bone found on either side of a horse's cannon bone; the second or fourth metacarpal (forelimb) or metatarsal (hindlimb) bone.
- 10 A disease affecting the splint bones, as a callosity or hard excrescence.
Verb
- 1 To apply a splint to; to fasten with splints. transitive
- 2 support with a splint wordnet
- 3 To support one's abdomen with hands or a pillow before attempting to cough.
- 4 To split into thin, slender pieces; to splinter. obsolete, rare, transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"If the torque is too high, the shaft might break. That's why we are using a shear splint as a torque limiter."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "splint"?
Common synonyms include: ace bandage, adhesive tape, application, band, band aid, band-aid.
How do you use "splint" in a sentence?
If the torque is too high, the shaft might break. That's why we are using a shear splint as a torque limiter.
How do you pronounce "splint"?
Pronounced /splɪnt/.
Etymology
From Middle English splint, splent, splente, from Middle Low German splinte, splente or Middle Dutch splint, splinte. Cognate with Old High German splinza (“bar, bolt, latch”). All ultimately from Proto-Germanic *splintǭ, *splintō (“piece of wood, splinter”), from Proto-Germanic *splint-, *splind- (“to split”), from a nasalized form of *splītaną (“to split”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pley- (“to split, splice”).