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splice

Pronunciation: /splʌɪs/

Translate splice | into French | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of splice

verb

[with object]
  • join or connect (a rope or ropes) by interweaving the strands at the ends:we learned how to weave and splice ropes figurativethe work splices detail and generalization
  • join (pieces of timber, film, or tape) at the ends:commercials can be spliced in later he had to splice the short music films together
  • Genetics join or insert (a gene or gene fragment): they have spliced a gene into tomatoes that improves flavour

noun

  • a join consisting of two ropes, pieces of tape or timber, etc. joined together at the ends: so smooth is the splice that you can’t see the join
  • the wedge-shaped tang of a cricket-bat handle, forming a joint with the blade.

Phrases

get (or be) spliced

British informal get married.

splice the main brace

British historical (in the navy) serve out an extra tot of rum.
[perhaps arising from the issue of a tot of rum as a reward for the actual splicing of the main brace, which would be a rare and difficult operation]

Derivatives

splicer

noun

Origin:

early 16th century: probably from Middle Dutch splissen, of unknown origin

splice in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of splice in the US English dictionary

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