splenological 
relating to the structure and function of the 
spleen. 
spienology (sple-nol'o-ji), n. [< Gr. air'/J/i', 
spleen, + -Ao; ia, < '/r/eiv, speak : see -olOffV.] 
The science or knowledge of the spleen ; the 
body of anatomical and physiological fact or 
doctrine respecting the structure and function 
of the spleen. 
splenomalapia (sple"no-ma-la'si-a), w. [NL.. 
< Gr. mr'At/v, spleen, + /uz/.a/cia, softness, < //a/la- 
n6s, soft.] Softening of the spleen. 
splenopathy (sple-nop'a-thi), w. [< Gr. oirXtfv, 
spleen, + vaffof, suffering.] Disease of the 
spleen. 
splenotomical (sple-no-tom'i-kal), a. [< sple- 
notom-y + -ic-al.] Anatomical as regards the 
spleen ; pertaining to splenotomy. 
splenotomy (sple-not'o-mi), . [< Gr. 
spleen, + -nuuo, { rtfivtiv, Ta/ielv, cut.] 
nological anatomy; incision into or dissection 
of the spleen. 
splent (splent), w. An obsolete or dialectal form 
of splint. 
splenter (splen'ter), . An obsolete or dialec- 
tal form of splinter. 
Splenule (splen'ul), n. [< Nli.*spleiittlus, dim. of 
L. splen, < Gr. inr/u^v, the spleen : see spleen.] 
A splencule, or little spleen ; a rudimentary 
spleen. Owen. 
splettet, r. See splat. 
spleuchan, spleughan (splo'chan), w. [< Gael. 
Ir. spliuclian, a pouch.] A pouch or pocket ; es- 
pecially, a tobacco-pouch. 
Ye ken Jock Hornbook i' the clachan ; 
Deil mak his king's- hood in [into] a gpleuchan ! 
Burns, Death and Dr. Hornbook. 
splice (splis), v. t.; pret. and pp. spliced, ppr. 
splicing. [= OF. "esplisser, espisser, F. episser 
= Sw. splissa = Dan. splidse, spledse, spleise, 
splice, < MD. splissen, an assimilated form of 
"splitsen, D. splitsen, splice ; so called with ref. 
to the splitting of the strands of the rope ; with 
formative -s, < MD. splitten, splijten, D. splijten, 
split, = MHG. splizen, G. spleisseii, split : see 
split. The G. splissen, splitsen, splice, may be 
a secondary form of spleissen, split, and this it- 
self the source of the OF. and tne D., Sw., etc., 
forms ; or it may be from the D.] 1 . To unite 
or join together, as two ropes or the parts of a 
rope by interweaving the strands of the ends; 
also, to unite or join together by overlapping, 
as two pieces of timber, metal, or other mate- 
rial. See splice, n. 
When the long tale, renew'd when last they met, 
Is spliced anew, and is unfinished yet. 
Crabbe, Works, II. 164. 
2. To join in marriage ; marry. [Slang.] 
Alfred and I Intended to be married in this way almost 
from the first ; we never meant to be spliced in the hum- 
drum way of other people. Charlotte Bronte, Villette, xl 
Spliced eye. Same as eye-splice. Splicing-clamp, a 
clamp used to hold the ends or parts to be spliced. To 
splice the main-brace. See main-brace. 
splice (splis), n. [< splice, v.'] 1. The joining 
together of two ropes or parts of a rope by in- 
terweaving part of the untwisted strands of 
each, or the union so effected. The short splice is 
used for a rope 
where it is not 
to pass through 
blocks. The long 
splice or round 
splice is made by 
unlaying the ends 
of ropes that are to 
be joined together 
and following the 
lay of one rope with 
a strand of the 
other until all the 
strands are used, 
and then neatly tucking the ends through the strands so 
that the size of the rope will not be changed. This occu- 
pies a great extent of rope, but by the three joinings being 
fixed at a distance from one another the increase of bulk is 
diminished, hence it is adapted to run through the sheave- 
hole of a block, etc. The eye-splice or ring-splice forms a 
sort of eye or circle at the end of a rope, and is used for 
splicing in thimbles, etc. See cut under etje-iplice. 
2. The junction of two pieces of wood or 
metal by overlapping and bolting or otherwise 
fastening the ends ; a scarf. See cut under 
scarf, 2. 
splice-grafting (splis'graf "ting), . See graft- 
ing, 1. 
splice-piece (splis'pes), . On a railway, a fish- 
plate or break-joint plate used where two rails 
come together, end to end. 
splicer (spli'ser), n. [< splice + -erl.] One 
who splices; also, a tool used in splicing. 
splicing-fid (spli'siug-fid), n. Naut., a tapered 
wooden pin or marlinspike used to open the 
584S 
strands of a rope in splicing. It is sometimes 
driven by a mallet called a commander. E. H. 
Knif/ltt. 
splicing-hammer (spli'sing-ham"er), . A ham- 
mer with a face on one end and a point on the 
other, used in splicing. 
K. H. Kni(/lit. 
splicing-siackle (spli'- 
sing-sliak''!), n A Sl)lic j nt ,. shack , e . 
shackle in the end of a 
length of chain around which the end of a rope 
is taken and spliced when the chain and cable 
are to be secured together, 
splindert, '' See splinter, r. 
spline (splin), H. [Origin obscure.] 1. lumacli., 
a rectangular piece or key fitting into a groove 
in the hub of a wheel, and a sim- 
ilar groove in a shaft, so that, 
while the wheel may slide endwise 
on the shaft, both must revolve to- 
gether. See cut under paint-mill. 
2. A flexible strip of wood or 
Splices of Ropes. 
a, short splice ; *, long splice ; f, eye-splice. 
b 
Spline. 
ie^ sh <-?*pi?ne >u o'r !' ard rubber used by draftsmen 
feather fitted to a in laying out broad sweeping 
and " '" " curves, especially in railroad 
work. The spline has a narrow groove 
on its upper edge to which can be anywhere attached the 
projecting finger of the heavy weight which keeps it In 
any desired position while the curve is being drawn. 
spline (splin), v. t. [< spline, w.] To fit with a 
spline. 
splining-machine (spli'ning-ma-shen*), . A 
machine-tool for cutting grooves and key- 
seats. 
splint (splint), r. t. [= Sw. splinta, splinter; a 
secondary, nasalized form of split : see split. In 
sense 2 also dial, splent; < ME. splenten; from 
splint, .] 1. To splinter; shiver. Florio. 
[Rare.] 2. To join together, confine, or sup- 
port by means of splints, as a broken limb. 
splint (splint), n. [Formerly and still dial, also 
splent; < ME. "siHinte, splynte, splent, splenic 
(> AF. esplcnte), a splint, = D. splint, a piece of 
money, = MLG. splintc, LG. splinte, splint (> G. 
splint), a thin piece of iron, = Sw. splint, a kind 
of spike, a forelock, flat iron peg (cf. sj>rint, a 
forelock), = Dan. splint, a splinter; from the 
verb: see splint, v. Cf. splinter.'} 1. Apiece 
of wood or other substance split off; a splinter. 
The speres splindered in gplyntei. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 628. 
2. A thin flexible strip of wood (or metal) 
adapted to a particular use. Specifically (o) One 
of a number of strips woven together to make chair-seats, 
baskets, etc. (b) A lath. [Prov. Eng.] (c) A piece of wood 
used to splice or stiffen a weak or broken beam, (d) One 
of the thin strips of wood used in making matches, 
brooms, etc. E. II. Knight, (e) A tapering strip of wood 
formerly used to adjust a shell in the center of the bore 
of a mortar. E. II. Knight, (/t) In armor, a narrow plat* 
of steel overlapping another. Splints 
were used for protecting parts of the 
body where movement had to be al- 
lowed for. See also cut under solteret. 
(g) In surg., a thin piece of wood or 
other substance used to hold or con- 
fine a broken bone when set, or to 
maintain any part of the body in a fixed 
position. See pistol-splint. 
3. In (mat., a bone acting as a 
splint; a splint-bone. 4. In farriery: (n) Peri- 
ostitis in the horse, involving the inner small 
and the large metacarpal or cannon-bone, rare- 
ly also the corresponding metatarsal bones. It 
is caused mainly by concussion, and sometimes 
leads to lameness. (6) An exostosis of the 
splint-bone of a horse; a bony callus or ex- 
crescence on a horse's leg formed by periosti- 
tis of a splint-bone. 
Outward diseases, as the spavin, splent, ring-bone, wind- 
gall. 
Greene and Lodge, Looking Glass for Lond. and Eng. 
split 
the back of the cannon-bone, or middle meta- 
carpal or metatarsal. See cuts under cannon- 
bone, Perissudactyla, pisiform, and solidungv- 
late. 
splint-bottomed (spliut'bot'umd), a. [< Kjilinl 
+ bottom + -te&.j Having the bottom or seat 
made of splints, or thin strips of wood, gener- 
ally interwoven: as, a splint-bottomed chair. 
Also xji/it-lmttiiiiH'd. 
splint-box (splint'boks), . A form of frac- 
ture-box consisting of a support for the leg 
with hinged side strips, adjustable foot-piece, 
and often a support for the thigh, which is at- 
tached by means of a hinge so that it may be 
adjusted. 
splint-coal (splint'kol), w. A variety of cannel- 
coal having a more or less slaty structure. See 
slate-coal. 
splintedt (splin'ted), . [< splint + -ed 2 .] Com- 
posed of splints: as, splinted armor. 
splinter (splin'ter), v. [Formerly also splin- 
tler ; < ME. 'gplinteren, uplindercn, < D. splin - 
teren, split, shiver, = Dan. splintre, splinter; cf. 
Sw. splittra, separate, = G. splittern, splinter; 
a freq. form of splint, nit. of split: see splint, 
v., split, .] I. trans. 1. To split or rend into 
long thin pieces; shiver. 
"The postern gate shakes," continued Rebecca; "It 
crashes it is splintered by his blows." 
Scott, Ivanhoe, xxix. 
2f. To support by a splint, as a broken limb ; 
splint. 
This broken joint . . . entreat her to splinter; and . . . 
this crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was 
before. Shak., Othello, II. 8. 829. 
II. intrant. To be split or rent into long 
pieces; shiver. 
A lance that splinter'd like an Icicle. 
Tennyson, Oeraint. 
splinter (splin'ter), n. [Formerly also splenter; 
= MD. splinter, splenter, D. splinter; cf. MD. 
spletter = Gr. splitter, a splinter: see splinter, 
t\] A sharp-edged fragment of anything split 
or shivered off more or less in the direction 
of its length; a thin piece (in proportion to its 
length) of wood or other solid substance rent 
from the main body ; a splint. 
The splenderis of thair spearis they break. 
Battle of Balrinnes (Child's Ballads, VII. 227). 
Several have picked splinters of wood out of the gates 
[of a church | for relics. 
Addison, Remarks on Italy (Works, ed. Bohn, I. 389). 
splinter-bar (splin'ter-biir), . A cross-bar in 
front of a vehicle to which the traces of the 
horses are attached; also, the cross-bar which 
supports the springs. 
splinter-bone (splin'ter-bon), n. The fibula. 
splintered (splin'terd), . [< splinter + -e<J2.] 
In her. : (a) Same as shivered. (6) Same as 
Armor made 
5. Alburnum or sap-wood, 
splintage (splin'taj), n. [< splint + -age.'} The 
application or use of splints, 
splint-armor (splint'ar'mor), u 
of splints. See splint, 2 (/)'.' 
splint-bandage (splinf- 
uan"daj), . An immov- 
able bandage, as a starch, 
gum, plaster of Paris, etc., 
bandage. 
splint-bone (splint'bon), . 
I. In anat.: (a) The sple- 
nium of the mandible. See 
splenmm. (b) The fibula or 
perone, which acts like a 
splint to the tibia. 2. 
In farriery, a splint ; one sals/ '' 
of the reduced lateral metacarpals or metatar- 
sals of the horse, closely applied to one side of 
Splint-armor, i5th cen- 
tury. (FromViollet-le-Duc's 
"Diet, du Mobilier Iran- 
ragged. 
splinter-netting (splin'ter-nefing), n. Naut., a 
netting formed of small rope rigged on a man- 
of-war to prevent accidents from splinters and 
falling spars in action. 
splinter-proof (splin'ter-prof), a. Proof against 
the splinters of bursting shells: as, splinter- 
proof shelters. 
splintery (splin'ter-i), a. [< splinter + -yi.] 
1. Apt to splinter: as, splintery wood. 2. 
Consisting of or resembling splinters. 3. In 
mineral., noting a fracture of minerals when 
the surface produced by breaking is slightly 
roughened by small projecting splinters or 
scales. 
splint-machine ( splint 'ma-shen'), n. In wood- 
working, a machine for planing thin veneers, 
or riving slats or splints from a block of wood 
for making matches, veneers, etc. ; a slivering- 
machine. 
splint-plane (splint'plan), n. A plane for cut- 
ting or riving from a board splints for boxes, 
blind-slats, etc. ; a scale-board plane. E. H. 
Knight. 
split (split), r. ; pret. and pp. split (sometimes 
splitted), ppr. splitting . [Not found in ME. or 
AS., and prob. of LG. origin: = OFries. splita 
= MD. D. splijten = MLG. spliten, LG. spliten 
= MHG. splizen, G. spleissen = Dan. splitte, 
split, = Sw. dial, splitta, split, separate, disen- 
tangle (ef. Sw. splittra, separate). Connection 
with spald 1 , split, cannot be made out: see 
spald 1 . The E. dial, sprit, split, may be a var. 
of split, or else of Sw. spricka, split. Hence 
ult. splice, splint, splinter, etc.] I. trans. 1. To 
cleave or rend lengthwise ; separate or part in 
two from end to end forcibly or by cutting; 
rive; cleave. 
