sliver

1 of 2

noun

sliv·​er ˈsli-vər How to pronounce sliver (audio)
 sense 2 is usually  ˈslī-
Synonyms of slivernext
1
a
: a long slender piece cut or torn off : splinter
b
: a small and narrow portion
a sliver of land
c
: particle, scrap
not a sliver of evidence
2
: an untwisted strand or rope of textile fiber produced by a carding or combing machine and ready for drawing, roving, or spinning

sliver

2 of 2

verb

sliv·​er ˈsli-vər How to pronounce sliver (audio)
slivered; slivering ˈsli-və-riŋ How to pronounce sliver (audio)
ˈsliv-riŋ

transitive verb

: to cut into slivers : splinter

intransitive verb

: to become split into slivers

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of sliver in a Sentence

Noun I got a sliver of wood stuck in my finger. Verb carefully slivered the rattan stems into strips for basketry
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Ukraine seized a sliver of western Russia in August as a bargaining chip, but its grip there is weakening, according to open-source maps of the war and Russian estimates. — Guy Faulconbridge and Marina Bobrova, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 But don’t picture slivers of beef sizzling on the hibachi at Benihana. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
The company’s recent earnings report was impacted by an E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on its Quarter Pounders, which sickened hundreds of customers. — Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2025 The multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounders is officially over, according to officials. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, The Courier-Journal, 4 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sliver

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slivere, from sliven to slice off, from Old English -slīfan; akin to Old English -slǣfan to cut

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sliver was in the 14th century

Rhymes for sliver

See All Rhymes for sliver

Browse Nearby Words

sliver
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sliver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sliver. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

sliver

1 of 2 noun
sliv·​er ˈsliv-ər How to pronounce sliver (audio)
1
: a long slender piece cut or torn off : splinter
2
: a small and narrow portion
a sliver of pie

sliver

2 of 2 verb
slivered; slivering
ˈsliv-(ə-)riŋ
: to cut or form into slivers : splinter

More from Merriam-Webster on sliver

Nglish: Translation of sliver for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sliver

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All