What does slivered mean?
Slivered means cut into thin, narrow strips or prepared in small, slender pieces. The word is especially common when describing food, as in “slivered almonds,” “slivered chicken,” or “slivered garlic,” and it often suggests precision and delicacy rather than ordinary chopping. Slivered is the past tense and past participle of the verb “sliver,” so a sentence can also describe the action: “The chef slivered the onions into delicate strips.” Outside culinary contexts, the word can apply more generally to any material that has been split into narrow pieces, though such uses are less frequent. Its familiar image is that of an elongated shaving or tiny strip. The word is useful when precision in size and shape matters, especially when describing the visual texture of food.
Cut into thin, narrow strips; prepared in small, slender pieces.
"The dish was garnished with slivered almonds and fresh herbs."
Most common in culinary contexts.
Past tense and past participle of sliver: to cut or split into thin, narrow strips.
"The cook slivered the garlic before adding it to the pan."
The action is especially associated with preparing ingredients in narrow strips.
A sliver is a tiny piece, and “slivered” is the culinary word for turning something larger into slender strips.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does slivered come from?
Slivered is formed by adding the suffix “-ed” to “sliver,” a Middle English word with Old English Germanic ancestry associated with slicing or splitting. Related English forms include slice and slit, which belong to the same broader tradition of words connected with cutting and dividing. The derivative “slivery” preserves the adjective sense of being thin, narrow, or resembling a sliver.
How slivered is actually used
The term is especially common in culinary and recipe writing, where it describes ingredients cut into narrow strips or slivers. It is also used, less formally, for anything reduced to thin, elongated pieces.
Easily confused with slivered
Slivered means cut or prepared in thin strips, whereas shivered means trembled or shivered.