splint

American  

[splint] / splɪnt /

noun

splints plural

1. a thin piece of wood or other rigid material used to immobilize a fractured or dislocated bone, or to maintain any part of the body in a fixed position.

2. one of a number of thin strips of wood woven together to make a chair seat, basket, etc.

3. Veterinary Medicine. an exostosis or bony enlargement of a splint bone of a horse or a related animal.

4. Armor.

   1. any of a number of narrow plates or lames joined with rivets or a backing to form a piece of armor.

   2. a partial vambrace protecting only the outer part of the arm.

5. British Dialect. a splinter of wood or stone.

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verb (used with object)

splints, present (3rd person singular) splinted, past participle, past splinting present participle

1. to secure, hold in position, or support by means of a splint or splints, as a fractured bone.

2. to support as if with splints.

splint British  

/ splɪnt /

noun

1. a rigid support for restricting movement of an injured part, esp a broken bone

2. a thin sliver of wood, esp one that is used to light cigars, a fire, etc

3. a thin strip of wood woven with others to form a chair seat, basket, etc

4. vet science inflammation of the small metatarsal or metacarpal bones along the side of the cannon bone of a horse

5. one of the overlapping metal plates used in armour after about 1330

6. another word for splinter

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verb

1. to apply a splint to (a broken arm, etc)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• splintlike
  adjective
• unsplinted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• splints
  plural

Participles

• splinting
  present
• splinted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• splint
  simple
• splints
  simple
• have splinted
  perfect
• has splinted
  perfect
• am splinting
  progressive
• are splinting
  progressive
• is splinting
  progressive
• have been splinting
  perfect progressive
• has been splinting
  perfect progressive

Past

• splinted
  simple
• had splinted
  perfect
• was splinting
  progressive
• were splinting
  progressive
• had been splinting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will splint
  simple
• will have splinted
  perfect
• will be splinting
  progressive
• will have been splinting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of splint

1275–1325; Middle English < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German splinte; cf. splinter

Explanation

A splint is something that's used to keep a person's arm or leg straight and immobile while a broken bone is healing. If you break your wrist, you may need to wear a splint for a while. Some splints are temporary, meant to keep an injured person's bones from moving until they can be examined by a doctor. EMTs and other emergency workers often use splints while transporting someone to a hospital. You can also use this word as a verb: "Let's splint your dog's leg and get her to the vet." A strip of wood can also be called a splint.

Example Sentences

"I've never experienced such terrible pain in my life. I made a splint and crutches out of wood," he writes.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Vanderbilt had his finger taped and had a splint on the finger after the game.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

“It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great. We’ll see what it is,” said Stafford, who was not wearing a brace or splint.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

Jones survived the strongest hurricane in Jamaican history while he was injured, wearing a homemade splint on his right leg from a fracture he suffered during a biking accident before Melissa hit.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

He called it Branch, named for the small tree part he had used to splint its damaged tail.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• brace