spline

noun

ˈsplīn 

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Half-shafts are massive ball-spline units, necessary when an independent suspension with more than nine inches of travel is paired with three motors with the combined twist of 1200 pound-feet of torque. —K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 4 Oct. 2021

Use a small screwdriver to pry the spline out at its end. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2022

The seven butcher block techniques shown here are: dowel pins, throughbolt, spline-joint, nail pins, glue-joint, direct-nailing, and a top made using teak parquet flooring. —Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 1 May 2021

Place the screen on a flat surface with the spline facing up. —New York Times, 5 Dec. 2020

Tap the spline flush with the bottom of each corner. —Richard Romanski, Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2020

Just be sure the new spline is the same diameter as the old one. —Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 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, 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, 29 May 2018

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Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1