splɪnt n. & v. --n. 1 a a strip of
rigid material used
for holding a
broken bone etc.
when set. b a rigid or
flexible strip of
esp.
wood used in
basketwork etc. 2 a
tumour or
bony excrescence on
the inside of a horse's
leg. 3 a
thin strip of wood etc. used to
light a
fire,
pipe, etc. 4 = splint-bone. --v.tr.
secure (a broken limb etc.)
with a splint or splints. øsplint-bone 1
either of
two small bones in a horse's
foreleg lying
behind and close to the cannon-bone. 2 the
human fibula. splint-coal
hard bituminous laminated
coal burning with
great heat. [ME splent(e) f. MDu. splinte or MLG splinte, splente
metal plate or
pin, rel. to SPLINTER]