noun
splice
SPLYS
Splice (noun) means a join made by weaving or overlapping two ends of rope, cable, or similar material. Example: “The sailor made a neat splice at the end of the line.”
noun
1
A join made by weaving or overlapping two ends of rope, cable, or similar material.
"The sailor made a neat splice at the end of the line."
verb
1
To join two lengths of rope, film, wire, or similar material together.
"They spliced the two cables together to extend the cord."
"The editor spliced the scenes together in the final cut."
2
In genetics, to remove non-coding sections from RNA and join the remaining pieces together.
"The cell's machinery splices the pre-mRNA before it leaves the nucleus."
How to use splice
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo join two ends of something (rope, film, genetic material) together, or the resulting join.
Common pairings
splice together
splice a rope
gene splicing
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Word forms
- Plural
- splices
- Third person singular
- splices
- Past tense
- spliced
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The sailor made a neat _____ at the end of the line.
Etymology
Borrowed around 1525 from Middle Dutch splissen, related to splitten, "to split" — oddly, the word shifted in meaning from "fraying apart" to "joining together" during the rope-making process.
Class of 1525
splice joined the language around 1525.
See the full Class of 1525 →
Related words
Rhymes for splice
See all rhymes for splice →Frequently asked questions
What does “splice” mean?
The word “splice” means a join made by weaving or overlapping two ends of rope, cable, or similar material. In plain terms, to join two ends of something (rope, film, genetic material) together, or the resulting join.
How do you pronounce “splice”?
“Splice” is pronounced SPLYS (/ˈsplaɪ̯s/ in IPA).
How do you use “splice” in a sentence?
Here is “splice” used in a sentence: “The sailor made a neat splice at the end of the line.”
What part of speech is “splice”?
Depending on how it is used, “splice” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “splice” come from?
The word “splice” dates back to around 1525 and comes from Dutch. Borrowed around 1525 from Middle Dutch splissen, related to splitten, "to split" — oddly, the word shifted in meaning from "fraying apart" to "joining together" during the rope-making process.
How many meanings does “splice” have?
“Splice” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a join made by weaving or overlapping two ends of rope, cable, or similar material.
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