spline

\ ˈsplīn

Definition of spline

1 : a thin wood or metal strip used in building construction

2 : a key that is fixed to one of two connected mechanical parts and fits into a keyway in the other also : a keyway for such a key

3 : a function that is defined on an interval, is used to approximate a given function, and is composed of pieces of simple functions defined on subintervals and joined at their endpoints with a suitable degree of smoothness

Examples of spline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Place the screen on a flat surface with the spline facing up. — New York Times, "Do It Yourself Home Repairs," 5 Dec. 2020 Tap the spline flush with the bottom of each corner. — Richard Romanski, Popular Mechanics, "How To Make a Box," 29 Aug. 2020 Just be sure the new spline is the same diameter as the old one. — Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, "Screen Door Reborn: How to Repair a Damaged Screen Door," 31 May 2020 The UX’s transmission includes a dedicated first-gear spline to improve torque delivery at initial acceleration, before the CVT-like action of the planetary gearset takes over. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "The Lexus UX 250h: Perfect If You Have No Kids and Extra Cash," 20 June 2019 The crank is now direct-mount, which alleviates proprietary spider configurations, and a new free-hub technology eliminates splines so freewheeling is silent. — Aaron Gulley, Outside Online, "Shimano Unveils New XTR 9100 Components," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.