splinter.

1. To split or break something into slender fragments, or break apart in that way.

2. A small, thin or needlelike piece broken from a larger object.

3. To divide a group or whole into separate fragments or factions.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• wood splinters
• splinter a door
• splintered glass

On the page

The old door splintered around the lock when they forced it open.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror / gothic literary. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: splinter; splinters; splintered; splintered; splintering. Noun singular splinter; plural splinters. Commonness: common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Full entry read: slender/needlelike fragment; noun breakaway faction; adjective; verb thin fragmentation and social/whole fragmentation. Three current physical verb/noun and figurative verb senses, further noun/adjective overflow flagged. Separate from existing derived splintery adjective, not an inflectional duplicate. Individually reviewed for a precise writer function, not selected merely for rarity. Original definitions/examples; commonness editorial, not a corpus statistic. Genre suitability does not establish inherent fear or emotional intensity. Writing functions: sharp slender breakage, social or familial unity fragmenting. Third-person singular: splinters.