sliver

1 of 2

noun

sliv·​er ˈsli-vər How to pronounce sliver (audio)
 sense 2 is usually  ˈslī-
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

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
Noun
The videos captured a sliver of the night sky visible through the gap in the cabin. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Still, housing economists caution this spurt of smaller new homes makes up a sliver of the overall housing market. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 If that wasn’t enough to drive the message home that these two are hanging out, Chelsea’s photo features a sliver of a white man’s arm. Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024 The larger compartment is a stage for pink slivers of a 6-ounce A5 Miyazakigyu ribeye blinged out in sel gris gems. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Riordan found a way to tie the game when sophomore Andrew Hilman found a sliver of daylight in the lane and made a reverse layup to make it 44-44 with 1:26 to play. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 The group was defeated in Syria, losing its last sliver of land in 2019, but its sleeper cells remain in both countries. Qassim Abdul-Zahra The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 The credit on that website has since been removed, but that sliver of evidence has been screengrabbed and shared widely. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 This really was the last chance for any kind of sliver of doubt to creep into the best picture race. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
Each bite is loaded with bacon, cheddar cheese, and slivered almonds. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 Make it: Top 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with two tablespoons slivered almonds and a teaspoon of honey. Women's Health, 28 Aug. 2023 Oh, and the AL West lead has been slivered to 1.5 games over Houston, two over white-hot Seattle. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Aug. 2023 An unexpected ingredient, slivered almonds, adds crunch to the filling and topping. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2023 Remarkable for its combination of complexity and freshness, Bollinger R.D. 2008 offers fine perlage and aromas of peach, yuzu, just-baked brioche, and slivered almonds. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2023 Seed and sliver the peppers and drizzle with oil, vinegar and chopped fresh herbs to serve as a salad. Steven Raichlen New York Times, Star Tribune, 21 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sliver.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near sliver

Cite this Entry

“Sliver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sliver. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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