splice

1 of 2

verb

spliced; splicing

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Buoyed by the early promise of its Dravet therapeutic, the company developed a second drug candidate, STK-002, that similarly targets splicing to turn nonproductive gene transcripts into constructive ones. Elie Dolgin, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2023 There are three subfamilies of the klotho protein that are formed depending on how the klotho gene is spliced (Figure 1). William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2023 The Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac worked with a team of geneticists in 2002 to splice an albino rabbit’s DNA with that of a luminescent jellyfish to call attention to what the transgenic crossing of species’ characteristics might imply for the human genome. New York Times, 7 Dec. 2020 The synthetic pieces glom on to mRNA from the one working version of the gene that people with Dravet have and help to ensure that unwanted bits of the mRNA sequence are spliced out, just as a movie editor might cut scenes that detract from a film’s story. Elie Dolgin, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2023 But with the advent of genetic engineering, genes encoding favorable traits in one species (say, that hornless cow) could be spliced into the genomes of other animals. Peter G. Lurie And Beth Ellikidis, STAT, 17 Apr. 2023 The video splices steamy moments of realistic WeHo scenes with clips of the singer dancing on stage. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2023 Editor Brian Kinnes took fan footage of Ocean’s set during Coachella Weekend 1 and spliced it together to create a complete look of his concert, similar to Beastie Boys’s Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! Vulture, 29 Apr. 2023 The album is paced to flow like an old-school LP, with 12 songs in 42 minutes, splicing straight-for-the-jugular songs with detours and in-jokes. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2023
Noun
How does Netflix’s Waco: American Apocalypse make sense of what happened? Netflix Netflix’s Waco splices together an impressive trove of footage. Paul Schrodt, Men's Health, 22 Mar. 2023 Another form of web weaving—fanvids, or video edits—splices together media clips to highlight thematic through lines. Vivian Lam, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023 The plates are called splice plates. Noel Oman, Arkansas Online, 21 July 2021 Test each splice with a gentle tug on the wires. Roy Berendson, Popular Mechanics, 13 Sep. 2020 Go for a strapless suit with a splice in the center or pick a one-piece with a larger cutout in the center for a flattering effect. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 4 May 2022 But biologists at the University of California, San Diego, found a way to ensure a fruit fly offspring inherited a genetic splice from a parent 95 percent of the time, according to the paper in Science. Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2015 When a splice of the viral video was played during the September 21 taping of the daytime TV show, Whoopi appeared speechless. Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, 23 Sep. 2022 Key to Kellermann's discovery of the bug was his use of the Linux function splice to move data from one file to another. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 8 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'splice.' 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

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

Dictionary Entries Near splice

Cite this Entry

“Splice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splice. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on splice

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