What does splint mean?
A splint is a rigid support used to hold an injured part of the body still so that it can heal properly. Typically made of wood, metal, plastic or moulded fabric, a splint is strapped or bound alongside a broken bone, a dislocated joint or a damaged tendon to stop it moving. Splints can be improvised in an emergency, using a rolled magazine, a stick or a folded board, or they can be carefully fitted by a clinician as part of long-term treatment. The word also works as a verb: to splint a limb means to immobilize it this way. Beyond medicine, the term has older specialist uses, such as a narrow overlapping plate in armor, a thin strip of wood used in crafts, and a bony swelling on a horse's leg. In everyday speech, however, the word points almost entirely to first aid and orthopedics. It is a practical, reassuring term: it suggests care, stability and recovery, and it is worth knowing for anyone who may need to describe or give basic emergency treatment.
A rigid strip or device used to immobilize and support a broken or injured bone or joint.
"The doctor placed a plastic splint on her broken finger."
Also used in the plural for 'shin splints' and, in horses, for bony growths on the leg.
To support or immobilize an injured body part with a splint.
"He splinted the injured leg with two branches and strips of cloth."
Often used in first-aid and outdoor-survival contexts.
Regular plural. 'Splints' also appears as the standalone name of a leg-pain condition ('shin splints') and a horse ailment.
"The first-aid kit contained bandages, scissors and two aluminum splints."
The word comes from a root meaning a thin piece broken off, which is why 'splint' and 'splinter' are close relatives.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does splint come from?
Splint entered English in the late Middle Ages, probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German splinte, meaning a metal plate or thin piece. It is related to splinter, which comes from a similar Germanic root for a thin fragment broken off. The medical sense of a support for a broken limb developed from the idea of a thin rigid strip.
Related word forms
How splint is actually used
Mainly a medical and first-aid term, neutral in register. It is used literally, with little figurative extension. In the plural, 'splints' often refers to 'shin splints', a common running injury, and not to the devices.
Easily confused with splint
To splice is to join two ropes, films or strands together, whereas a splint is a rigid support for an injured body part.
A splinter is a thin sharp fragment broken off a piece of wood or glass, while a splint is a supportive device, though the two words share a common origin.
To split is to divide or break apart, while a splint is a support used to keep a broken part from moving.