A small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or similar material broken off from a larger piece. noun
She got a splinter in her finger while handling the wooden crate.
The carpenter carefully removed the splinter from the board before sanding it down.
To break or cause to break into small, sharp fragments. verb
The glass vase splintered into countless pieces when it fell off the table.
The impact of the crash caused the wooden beam to splinter.
To separate into smaller groups or factions. verb
The political party began to splinter after disagreements over policy.
The community splintered into several smaller groups, each with its own agenda.