different between thorn vs splinter

English

Etymology

From Middle English thorn, þorn, from Old English þorn, þyrn (“thorn”), from Proto-Germanic *þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr?nós, from *(s)ter- (“stiff”). Near cognates include West Frisian toarn, Low German Doorn, Dutch doorn, German Dorn, Danish and Norwegian torn, Swedish torn, törne, Gothic ???????????????????????????? (þaurnus). Further cognates include Old Church Slavonic ????? (tr?n?, “thorn”), Russian ???? (tjorn), Polish cier?, Sanskrit ??? (t???a, “grass”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???n/
• Rhymes: -??(?)n

Noun

thorn (plural thorns)

1. (botany) A sharp protective spine of a plant.
2. Any shrub or small tree that bears thorns, especially a hawthorn.

3. (figuratively) That which pricks or annoys; anything troublesome.

4. A letter of Latin script (capital: Þ, small: þ), borrowed from the futhark; today used only in Icelandic to represent the voiceless dental fricative, but originally used in several early Germanic scripts, including Old English where it represented the dental fricatives that are today written th (Old English did not have phonemic voicing distinctions for fricatives).
   • See also Etymology of ye (definite article).

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

thorn (third-person singular simple present thorns, present participle thorning, simple past and past participle thorned)

1. To pierce with, or as if with, a thorn

Translations

See also

• eth, edh, eð, ð
• wynn, wen, ?
• ?

Further reading

• thorn on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Thorns, spines, and prickles on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Thorn (letter) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• North, Rt Hon, Rt. Hon., north

Middle English

Alternative forms

• þorn, thorne, thron, þron, þorne

Etymology

Inherited from Old English þorn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr?nós.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??rn/, /?r?n/

Noun

thorn (plural thornes)

1. A thorn (spine on a plant with a sharp point)
2. Thorn or eth (the letter þ and/or ð)
3. A plant having thorns, especially the hawthorn or rosebush.
4. (rare) Thorns pulled from the ground for burning.
5. (rare) A dish incorporating hawthorn.

Derived terms

• hawthorn
• thornbak
• thornen
• thornetre
• thorny

Descendants

• English: thorn
• Scots: thorn; torn (Shetland)

References

• “thorn, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-12.

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *þornu (“thorn, sloe”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??rn/

Noun

thorn m

1. thorn; thorny bush

Declension

Descendants

• Middle Low German: d?rn
  • German Low German: Däörn, Doorn, Dorn, Durn

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?spl?nt?(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?spl?nt?/, [?spl????]
• (Southern American English) IPA^(key): /?spl?n?/
• Rhymes: -?nt?(r), -?nt?

Etymology 1

From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint +? -er.

Noun

splinter (plural splinters)

1. A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
2. A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership.
3. (bridge) A double-jump bid which indicates shortage in the bid suit.

Synonyms

• (long sharp fragment): shard, spelk, spill.
• (group formed by splitting): faction, splinter group.

Translations

Etymology 2

From the noun splinter.

Verb

splinter (third-person singular simple present splinters, present participle splintering, simple past and past participle splintered)

1. (intransitive) To come apart into long sharp fragments.

   The tall tree splintered during the storm.

2. (transitive) To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments.

   His third kick splintered the door.

   • 1856-1858, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip II

     After splintering their lances, they wheeled about, and […] abandoned the field to the enemy.

3. (figuratively, of a group) To break, or cause to break, into factions.

   The government splintered when the coalition members could not agree.

   The unpopular new policies splintered the company.

4. (transitive) To fasten or confine with splinters, or splints, as a broken limb.
   • 1659, Matthew Wren, Monarchy Asserted Or The State of Monarchicall & Popular Government

     it will be very hard for Me to Splinter up the broken confuséd Pieces of it.

Related terms

• splint
• splinter up

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch splinter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?spl?n.t?r/
• Hyphenation: splin?ter
• Rhymes: -?nt?r

Noun

splinter m (plural splinters, diminutive splintertje n)

1. splinter (long, sharp fragment of material)

Derived terms

• splinterpartij