sliver

sliver (ˈslɪvə)

—n
1.	a thin piece that is cut or broken off lengthwise; splinter
2.	a loose strand or fibre obtained by carding

—vb
3.	to divide or be divided into splinters; split
4.	(tr) to form (wool, etc) into slivers

[C14: from sliven to split]

'sliver-like

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

sliver

late 14c., from obsolete verb sliven "to split, cleave," from O.E. toslifan "to split, cleave," from P.Gmc. *slifanan.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

sliver

in yarn production, loose, soft, untwisted ropelike strand of textile fibre having a roughly uniform thickness. It is produced by the carding process, which separates raw fibres to prepare them for spinning

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Matching Quote

"Climbing the bole of the tree, a man clings with all his arms and legs, and lays hold of every knob and sliver. When he mounts amongst the branches, it should be with a more easy alacrity. A man will often be apt at the one operation, yet awkward at the other. Nor is it, indeed, common to meet with a man of such a character as can be carried from a low condition of life through successive ascents, with an aptitude for every condition into which he passes; and thus it is that men who rise well will often stand infirmly. But for want of due consideration being given to the nature of men and circumstances, it is a usual thing to hear, not only regret but surprise expressed, when a man who has attained an elevated position in life exhibits in that position those very defects of character through which he is there."

-Sir Henry Taylor

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