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
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
Saratoga’s geography makes the topic tricky: Fewer than 1% of our parcels are zoned for commercial use, and sales tax dollars account for only a sliver of city revenue. Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 13 May 2025 Great news for that sliver of Americans in the market for a Land Rover, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce or Aston Martin. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Verb
Crushed pistachios, slivered almonds and two blackberries spread over a silky custard awash with sweet, nutty flavor. Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in November that slivered onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers were the probable source of an E. coli outbreak that prompted the fast-food restaurant chain to temporarily stop selling the menu item. Peter Burke, Fox News, 24 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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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