Part 337

2. A thin piece or fragment; specifically, one of the scales or pieces of the woody part of flax removed by the operation of breaking.

3. A thin, flat cork used for stopping a wide- mouthed bottle; also, a thin wooden bung for casks.

Shiv"er (?), n. [OE. schivere, fr. shive; cf. G. schifer a splinter, slate, OHG. scivere a splinter, Dan. & Sw. skifer a slate. See Shive, and cf. Skever.] 1. One of the small pieces, or splinters, into which a brittle thing is broken by sudden violence; -- generally used in the plural. "All to shivers dashed." Milton.

2. A thin slice; a shive. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "A shiver of their own loaf." Fuller.

Of your soft bread, not but a shiver.

Chaucer.

3. (Geol.) A variety of blue slate.

4. (Naut.) A sheave or small wheel in a pulley.

5. A small wedge, as for fastening the bolt of a window shutter.

6. A spindle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Shiv"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shivered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shivering.] [OE. schiveren, scheveren; cf. OD. scheveren. See Shiver a fragment.] To break into many small pieces, or splinters; to shatter; to dash to pieces by a blow; as, to shiver a glass goblet.

All the ground With shivered armor strown.

Milton.

Shiv"er, v. i. To separate suddenly into many small pieces or parts; to be shattered.

There shiver shafts upon shields thick.

Chaucer

The natural world, should gravity once cease, . . . would instantly shiver into millions of atoms.

Woodward.

Shiv"er, v. i. [OE. chiveren, cheveren; of uncertain origin. This word seems to have been confused with shiver to shatter.] To tremble; to vibrate; to quiver; to shake, as from cold or fear.

Prometheus is laid On icy Caucasus to shiver.

Swift.

The man that shivered on the brink of sin, Thus steeled and hardened, ventures boldly in.

Creech.

Shiv"er, v. t. (Naut.) To cause to shake or tremble, as a sail, by steering close to the wind.

Shiv"er, n. The act of shivering or trembling.

Shiv"er*ing*ly, adv. In a shivering manner.

Shiv"er-spar` (?), n. [Cf. G. schiefer-spath.] (Min.) A variety of calcite, so called from its slaty structure; -- called also slate spar.

Shiv"er*y (?), a. 1. Tremulous; shivering. Mallet.