splintery Definition

splinter
noun

1. A small thin sharp piece that has broken off a hard substance, eg wood or glass.

Thesaurus: fragment, shaving, sliver, piece, flake, chip, paring.
2. A fragment of an exploded shell, etc.

verb, tr & intr splintered, splintering

1. To break into splinters.

Thesaurus: break, smash, shatter, rive, fracture, fragment, shiver, split.
2. Said of a group, political party, etc: to divide or become divided.

Example: The party splintered over green issues

Derivative: splintery
adj

Derivative: splinter-proof
adj

Able to withstand splinters, eg from bursting shells, bombs, etc.

Etymology: 14c: Dutch, and related to splint.