splice

American  

[splahys] / splaɪs /

verb (used with object)

spliced, splicing

1. to join together or unite (two ropes or parts of a rope) by the interweaving of strands.

2. to unite (timbers, spars, or the like) by overlapping and binding their ends.

3. to unite (film, magnetic tape, or the like) by butting and cementing.

4. to join or unite.

5. Genetics. to join (segments of DNA or RNA) together.

6. Informal. to unite in marriage.

   They'll be spliced in June.

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noun

1. a joining of two ropes or parts of a rope by splicing.

2. the union or junction made by splicing.

3. a joining or junction of two pieces of timber, spar, etc., by overlapping and fastening the ends.

4. a joining of film, electromagnetic tape, or the like.

idioms

1. splice the main brace,

   1. to issue a ration of spirits, as grog, to all hands.

   2. to drink spirits.

splice British  

/ splaɪs /

verb

1. to join (two ropes) by intertwining the strands

2. to join up the trimmed ends of (two pieces of wire, film, magnetic tape, etc) with solder or an adhesive material

3. to join (timbers) by overlapping and binding or bolting the ends together

4. informal (passive) to enter into marriage

   the couple got spliced last Saturday

5. nautical history to issue and partake of an extra allocation of alcoholic spirits

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noun

1. a join made by splicing

2. the place where such a join occurs

3. the wedge-shaped end of a cricket-bat handle or similar instrument that fits into the blade

splice Scientific  

/ splīs /

1. To join together genes or gene fragments or insert them into a cell or other structure, such as a virus, by means of enzymes. In genetic engineering, scientists splice together genetic material to produce new genes or to alter a genetic structure. In messenger RNA, the introns are removed, and exons are spliced together to yield the final messenger RNA that is translated.

2. See also exon intron

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Other Word Forms

• resplice verb (used with object)
• spliceable adjective
• splicer noun
• undersplice verb (used with object)
• unspliced adjective

Etymology

Origin of splice

1515–25; < earlier Dutch splissen (now splitsen )

Example Sentences

Shortly after the launch, Altman encouraged users to find different ways to splice him into famous or iconic scenes from popular culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

When a gene is copied into a raw RNA transcript, it usually can be processed in different ways to form distinct splice variants or isoforms; thus, a single gene may produce several different proteins.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024

At the other end, Rushworth tests Holder with a short ball, which he pulls off the splice for no run.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024

Rather than stingily splice the historical sources, as the Carralero court did, those judges drew upon the historical principles that justified locational restrictions.

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2024

The immediate task at hand was to carefully review, cut, and splice selections from the four hundred thousand feet of raw film she had shot at the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• graft