spline

English [edit]

Drawing a spline.

Wooden box with splines of dark wood visible at the corner joints. See the close-up of a spline.

spline (plural splines)

A rectangular piece that fits grooves like key seats in a hub and a shaft, so that while the one may slide endwise on the other, both must revolve together.
A flexible strip of metal or other material, that may be bent into a curve and used in a similar manner to a ruler to draw smooth curves between points.
(mathematics, computing) Any of a number of smooth curves used to join points.
(woodworking) A strip of wood or other material inserted into grooves in each of two pieces of wood to provide additional surface for gluing.

rectangular piece

flexible strip

smooth mathematical curve

strip of wood used in joining wooden parts

spline (third-person singular simple present splines, present participle splining, simple past and past participle splined)

(mathematics, computing) To smooth (a curve or surface) by means of a spline.
(engineering) To fit with a spline.
- 1965 August, Popular Science, volume 187, page 133:
  
  Machining a straight spline with a lathe. Sometimes the task of splining a shaft comes up during a repair. Instead of sending out the job, use this setup to mill the splines on a lathe.
(engineering) To fasten to or together with a spline.
- 1935 September, Popular Mechanics, volume 64, page 408:
  
  Engineers did not think two crankshafts could be synchronized. Wood, by splining the shafts in each gear box, proved it could be done.
- 2004, Jack Erjavec, TechOne automatic transmissions, page 311:
  
  These packs can be holding or driving devices, depending on what they are splined to.
- 2011, Mark Savitske, How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle, page 85:
  
  Splined bars are a big recent trend. Originally used in racing, the idea is to have a straight torsion bar with the ends splined like an axle and separate arms that fit on each end to mount the end links