sliver
gb/slˈɪvɚ/ us/slˈɪvɚ/
B1
English
szilánk, szálka, vékony szelet, keskeny csík, vékony csíkokra vág, vékony szeletekre vág, szálkákra hasad, szilánkokra törik
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
a sliver (of [material])
He got a sliver of wood in his thumb while sanding the table.
Az asztal csiszolása közben faszálka ment a hüvelykujjába.
I stepped on a sliver of glass and had to pull it out carefully.
Ráléptem egy üvegszilánkra, és óvatosan ki kellett húznom.
The nurse used tweezers to remove the sliver from her finger.
Learner examples
I have a sliver in my finger.
Szálka van az ujjamban.
She pulled out the sliver.
Kihúzta a szálkát.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse sliver (thin splinter) with shard (usually glass) or chip (often thicker).
Meaning
A thin sharp broken piece
Collocations
a sliver of wood
|a sliver of glass
|get a sliver
|a sliver in your finger
|remove a sliver
|a sharp sliver
|a tiny sliver
|a sliver under the skin
|pull out a sliver
Synonyms
splinter (The most common word for a thin sharp piece of wood.)
|
shard (Often used for a broken piece of glass or pottery.)
Antonyms
chunk (A much larger, thicker piece.)
|
whole piece (Not broken off or separated.)
Themes
daily_life
|materials
|health
Definition
A tiny thin piece that breaks off something and can be sharp.
A small, very thin, often sharp piece that has broken off from something larger, especially wood, glass, or metal.
NOUN
B2
2
keskeny csík
B1
Usage pattern:
a sliver of [something]
She added a sliver of ginger to the soup.
Egy vékony szelet gyömbért tett a levesbe.
A sliver of light showed under the door.
Egy keskeny fénycsík látszott az ajtó alatt.
A sliver of the moon appeared between the clouds.
Learner examples
I cut a sliver of cheese.
Levágtam egy vékony szelet sajtot.
There is a sliver of light.
Látszik egy keskeny fénycsík.
Common mistake:
Learners may use slice for any piece; sliver emphasizes that it is very thin and narrow.
Meaning
A very thin narrow piece
Collocations
a thin sliver
|a narrow sliver
|slivers of onion
|a sliver of cheese
|a sliver of lemon
|a sliver of light
|a sliver of moon
|a sliver of paper
|cut into slivers
|thin slivers
Synonyms
thin slice (Similar meaning, especially for food, but less focused on narrowness.)
|
strip (Often longer and more even in width.)
|
shaving (Very thin piece, often removed by scraping.)
Antonyms
thick slice (Opposite in thickness.)
|
slab (A large, thick, flat piece.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|daily_life
|nature
Definition
A very thin piece or slice of something.
A very thin, narrow piece or strip of something, often cut or seen as a thin line or shape.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
sliver [something] (into [pieces])
Sliver the almonds and toast them for the salad.
Vágd vékony szeletekre a mandulát, és pirítsd meg a salátához.
He slivered the carrots into matchsticks for the stir-fry.
Gyufaszál vékonyságú csíkokra vágta a sárgarépát a wokos ételhez.
The craft knife can sliver the cardboard into neat strips.
Learner examples
I slivered the onion for the soup.
Vékony csíkokra vágtam a hagymát a leveshez.
Common mistake:
Often confused with slice; sliver suggests thinner, narrower pieces than a typical slice.
Meaning
Cut into thin pieces
Collocations
sliver garlic
|sliver almonds
|sliver onion
|sliver the wood
|sliver [something] into strips
|finely slivered
|thinly slivered
Synonyms
slice thinly (More general; does not necessarily imply narrow pieces.)
|
shred (Usually many thin pieces, often torn or grated rather than neatly cut.)
Antonyms
chunk (To cut into large pieces rather than thin ones.)
|
leave whole (Not cutting into pieces.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|crafts
|materials
Definition
To cut something into very thin pieces.
To cut something into long, very thin, narrow pieces.
VERB
C1
4
Usage pattern:
[something] slivers (under [condition])
The old chair leg slivered when he put his weight on it.
A régi székláb szálkákra hasadt, amikor ránehezedett.
Dry wood can sliver easily along the grain.
A száraz fa a szálirány mentén könnyen szálkákra hasad.
The edge of the board slivered, leaving sharp fragments.
Learner examples
The wood slivered when it broke.
A fa szálkákra hasadt, amikor eltört.
Common mistake:
This intransitive use is less common; learners may prefer 'splinter' in many contexts.
Meaning
Break into thin sharp pieces
Collocations
wood slivers
|the handle slivered
|sliver apart
|sliver into pieces
|sliver along the grain
Synonyms
splinter (More common verb for breaking into sharp thin pieces, especially wood.)
|
shatter (Break violently into many pieces; not necessarily thin.)
Antonyms
hold together (Not breaking apart.)
|
stay intact (Remain unbroken.)
Themes
materials
|daily_life
Definition
To break into thin sharp pieces.
To split or break into long, thin, sharp pieces.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sliver
IPA
GB/slˈɪvɚ/
US/slˈɪvɚ/
Syllables & stress
sliv - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sliv)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sliver
- Plural: slivers
Verb
- Base: sliver
- 3rd Person Singular: slivers
- Present Participle: slivering
- Past: slivered
Expressions
a sliver of [something]
1/ə slˈɪvɚ əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
A very small amount
A very small amount of something.
Examples
- There’s still a sliver of hope that the deal will go through.
- Only a sliver of the budget goes to maintenance.
- He didn’t show a sliver of regret in his apology.
Learner examples
- I have a sliver of hope.
- We only used a sliver of our time.