noun
sliver
SLIH-vuh
noun
1
A small, thin, often sharp piece cut or broken off from something larger.
"A sliver of wood got stuck under her fingernail."
"He cut a thin sliver of cake for himself."
How to Use Sliver
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thin, narrow piece cut or split off from something bigger.
Common pairings
a sliver of wood
a sliver of light
a sliver of hope
Word Forms
slivered past tense, slivers plural, slivers singular
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A _____ of wood got stuck under her fingernail.
Etymology
From Middle English "sliver," related to an Old English verb meaning "to split or cleave."