Splinter
WordNet
noun
(1) A small thin sharp bit or wood or glass or metal
"He got a splinter in his finger"
"It broke into slivers"
verb
(2) Break up into splinters or slivers
"The wood splintered"
(3) Divide into slivers or splinters
(4) Withdraw from an organization or communion
"After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away"
WiktionaryText
Noun
- A long, sharp fragment of material; often wood.
- A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership.
Verb
- To come apart into long sharp fragments.
- The tall tree splintered during the storm.
- To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments.
- His third kick splintered the door.
- To break, or cause to break, into factions.
- The government splintered when the coalition members could not agree.
- The unpopular new policies splintered the company.