Also 6–7 splise. [ad. MDu. splissen, of doubtful origin, but perh. related to SPLIT v.; in the Continental languages now represented by Du. dial., LG. and G. splissen, WFris. splisse, NFris. splesse, splasse, Sw. splissa; also G. spleissen, splitsen, Du. splitsen, Sw. splitsa, Da. splidse. The Du. word is also the source of F. épisser († épicer), whence épissoir splicing-iron, and épissure a splice.]
I. 1. trans. To join (ropes, cables, lines, etc.) by untwisting and interweaving the strands of the ends so as to form one continuous length; to unite (two parts of the same rope) by interweaving the strands of one end into those of another part so as to form an eye or loop; to repair (rigging) in this way. Chiefly Naut.
Also const. with preps. and advs., as into, round, together.
1524–5. [see SPLICING vbl. sb. 1].
a. 1625. Nomenclator Navalis (Harl. MS. 2301), To splice is to make fast the ends of Roapes one into the other by joining the strands at the ends of both the Roapes.
1633. T. James, Voy., 23. We went to worke;… to splise our Cables.
1675. Cocker, Morals, 15. All the Lines, made since Sol’s Race began, Spliced into one, would prove too short to sound. This bottomless … Sea.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4547/2. He spliced his Rigging, and repaired the Damages as fast as he could.
1795. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), II. 14. Employed shifting our topsails and splicing our rigging.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 422. The two ends of these yarns he splices together.
1864. Soc. Sci. Rev., I. 266. As the sailor wants to be taught how to splice a rope or rove his tackle.
1891. C. Roberts, Adrift Amer., 213. I very soon ingratiated myself with the other men by teaching them to splice rope.
absol. 1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 80. Shew me the Gentleman, crys he, that can knot or splice, or make Pudding as it should be?
1891. C. Roberts, Adrift Amer., 213. I was rather surprised to find that they could not splice.
b. To form (an eye or knot) in a rope by splicing.
1773. Life N. Frowde, 24. I could not only go to any Part of the Vessel that I was bid, but splice a Knot and go aloft.
1845. J. Coulter, Adv. in Pacific, vii. 72. One end [of the line] is bent on to the harpoon; the other (with an eye spliced in it) is left hanging out of the sternpost tub.
c. To splice the main-brace: see MAIN-BRACE1 b.
2. To join (two pieces of timber, etc.) by overlapping or scarfing the two ends together in such a way as to form one continuous length; to fasten together in this way; to graft by a similar process.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 3. The Carpenter is to … [be] euer ready for calking, breaming,… fishing or spliceing the Masts or Yards. Ibid., 13. A Iury-mast, which is made with yards, rouftrees, or what they can, splised or fished together.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., To Splice among Gardeners, is to graft the Top of one Tree into the Stock of another, by cutting them sloping, and fastening them together.
1763. Mills, Syst. Pract. Husb., IV. 408. The branches of the old tree thus spliced in the rind yield an uncommon quantity of fruit.
1791. W. Gilpin, Forest Scenery, I. 128. A very noble fir…, which was not spliced in the common mode, but was converted in it’s full dimensions, into the bowsprit of the Britannia.
1856. Mayne Reid, Hunters’ Feast, xvii. 139. The breaking of our waggon-tongue … delayed our journey. There was plenty of good hickory-wood,… and Jake … soon spliced it again.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. ix. East and Tom were … splicing a favourite old fives’-bat.
1875. [see SPLINT sb. 4 b].
b. transf. To unite in this manner by means of surgery or natural healing.
1755. J. Shebbeare, Lydia (1769), I. 178. Surgeon Macpherson … having thus spliced the fox’s tail to the little skill he had in surgery.
1867. Latham, Black & White, 87. The glass cases of broken bones,… as poor mother nature had tried to glue them together and splice them again, gave some idea of the horrors of war.
c. In various transferred and figurative uses: To unite, combine, join, mend.
1803. Spirit Public Jrnls., VII. 68. And when they would buy, a whole company splice Their pence…, to make up the price.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, V. i. ¶ 63. My legacy consisted of a broken fortune to splice.
1810. Crabbe, Borough, x. 245. The long tale, renew’d when last they met, Is spliced anew, and is unfinish’d yet.
1828. Creevey, in C. Papers (1904), II. 154. He splices so many subjects upon one another, it is difficult to make a selection.
1890. D. G. Mitchell, Eng. Lands, ii. 74. We know … that he takes to the work of mending plays, and splicing good parts together.
d. To bind, fasten, fix firmly or securely.
1847. Disraeli, Tancred, III. iii. If you were in the middle of the desert and the least grumbling, you would be spliced on a camel.
3. slang. To join in matrimony; to marry. Chiefly in passive.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic., vii. Trunnion! Trunnion! turn out and be spliced, or lie still and be damned.
1788. in Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue (ed. 2).
1834. Marryat, P. Simple (1863), 295. My two sisters are both to be spliced to young squireens in the neighbourhood.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, xlii. Alfred and I intended to be married in this way almost from the first; we never meant to be spliced in the humdrum way of other people.
1873. Mrs. R. T. Ritchie, Wks. (1891), I. 148. There goes a parson…. Shall I run after him and get him to splice us oft-hand?
4. intr. To fit into something with a splice.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 125. The end [of the spilling line] splicing into the head of the sail.
II. † 5. trans. and intr. To split. Obs. rare.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva, 74. Making the stroke upward, and with a sharp Bill, so as the weight of an untractable bough do not splice and carry the bark with it. Ibid., 92. In arms of Timber which are very great, chop a nick under it close to the Boal, so meeting it with the down-right strokes, it will be cut without splicing.
Hence Spliced ppl. a., formed, joined or repaired by splicing.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 250. Though a *spliced staff e’en as strong may be As one ne’er broken.
1870. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., Suppl. 7/2. A spliced Cricket Bat.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2280/1. Spliced Eye.… The rope is bent around a thimble, and the end spliced into the standing part.
