sliver
sliver Lexical Profile
sliver Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, thin, narrow piece of something cut or split off a larger piece.
"She carefully removed a tiny sliver of glass from the bottom of her foot."
A very small amount, fraction, or portion of something abstract or intangible.
"Despite the overwhelming odds, there remained a sliver of hope that the rescue team would arrive in time."
A continuous, untwisted strand of loose textile fibers produced by carding or combing, ready for drawing and spinning into yarn.
"The carding machine aligns the raw cotton fibers into a soft, continuous sliver."
• verb
To cut, split, or break into small, thin, narrow pieces or strips.
"The chef slivered the almonds and toasted them lightly to garnish the salad."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused in spelling and pronunciation with 'slither' (to slide or glide like a snake); 'sliver' refers to a thin, sharp fragment or slice.
• Rhymes for sliver
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'slivere', a diminutive or derivative of the dialectal verb 'slive' (meaning to cleave or split), which comes from Old English 'slifan' (to split or slice).