Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SPLINT, or SPLINT'ER, n. [D. splinter; G. splint or splitter; Dan. splindt. Qu. is n radical?]

1. A piece of wood split off; a thin piece (in proportion to its thickness,) of wood or other solid substance, rent from main body; as, splinters of a ship's side or mast, rent off by a shot.
2. In surgery, a thin piece of wood or other substance, used to hold or confine a broken bone when set.
3. A piece of bone rent off in a fracture.