splice

1 of 2

verb

spliced; splicing
Synonyms of splicenext

transitive verb

1
a
: to unite (two ropes or two parts of a rope) by interweaving the strands
b
: to unite (two lengths of magnetic tape, photographic film, etc.) by overlapping and securing together two ends
2
: to unite, link, or insert as if by splicing
3
: to combine or insert (something) by genetic engineering
spliced a human gene for insulin into a bacterium
splicer noun

splice

2 of 2

noun

1
: a joining or joint made by splicing something
2

Illustration of splice

Illustration of splice
  • splice 1

Examples of splice in a Sentence

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.
Verb
Gameplay is recorded and spliced into three videos for participants to take home with them after their session. Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 19 May 2026 Sliced or spliced, strung, looped or wrapped, pearls embody what lies beneath the surface, providing an ocean of inspiration for a contemporary designer with a singular vision. Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Noun
The minute a splice in the film strip is made, reality is being edited. Peter Bogdanovich, IndieWire, 13 May 2026 The exploit uses splice() to plant a reference to a read-only page-cache page (for example, /etc/passwd or /usr/bin/su) into the frag slot of a sender-side skb. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for splice

Word History

Etymology

Verb

obsolete Dutch splissen; akin to Middle Dutch splitten to split

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of splice was circa 1525

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Splice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splice. Accessed 27 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

splice

1 of 2 verb
spliced; splicing
1
: to unite (as two ropes) by weaving the strands together
2
: to unite (as pieces of film) by connecting the ends together
3
: to unite, link, or insert as if by splicing
splicer noun

splice

2 of 2 noun
: a joining or joint made by splicing

Medical Definition

splice

transitive verb
spliced; splicing
: to join together or insert (as segments of RNA or DNA) to form new genetic combinations
spliced a human gene for insulin into a bacterium
see gene-splicing

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