splice
splice — verb
1. to fasten the tip of one piece of rope, wire, or film to the tip of another piec
to fasten the tip of one piece of rope, wire, or film to the tip of another piece so the two become one longer length
Rania spliced the two ropes together before lowering the bucket into the well.
splice + object + together for physical joining
The editor carefully spliced the film at the exact frame where the door opens.
Electricians often splice wires when extending a circuit in an old building.
Yael spliced the broken climbing rope and tested it before the next climb.
The two audio cables were spliced together to reach the stage speakers.
- join
the most general term; less specific than splice
- weave together
emphasises the interlocking technique used for ropes
- fuse
suggests melting or bonding; used for metals, not ropes or film
文法句型
splice + noun phrase + together
splice + noun phrase + onto/to + noun phrase
用法筆記
When joining ropes, splicing involves weaving strands together rather than tying a knot, which creates a stronger join.
常見錯誤
2. to take a piece of genetic material from one organism and insert it into the DNA
to take a piece of genetic material from one organism and insert it into the DNA of another organism, creating a new genetic combination
Tariro spliced a firefly gene into tomato DNA so the plants glow in the dark.
splice + gene + from [source] + into [target] for genetic engineering
The research team spliced a human insulin gene into bacteria to produce medicine.
Haruto spliced the drought-resistant gene into the rice genome to help crops survive dry seasons.
Fragments of viral DNA were spliced into the patient's cells during the experimental treatment.
- insert
more general; lacks the biological specificity of splice
- engineer genetically
broader process that includes splicing as one step
- recombine
formal term for DNA rearrangement
文法句型
splice + gene/segment + from + source + into + target
splice + gene/segment + into + genome
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice and in compound noun phrases such as 'gene splicing' or 'RNA splicing'. The term appears in both formal research papers and news reporting on biotechnology.
常見錯誤
3. (informal, British) to marry someone — used almost always in the fixed phrase 'g
(informal, British) to marry someone — used almost always in the fixed phrase 'get spliced'
Ezra and Elena are getting spliced next spring in a small village on the coast.
informal fixed phrase: get spliced meaning 'get married'
Nobody expected Sahil and Quan to get spliced after dating for only three months.
My great-grandparents got spliced in 1965 and lived together for nearly sixty years.
After dating for five years, Otis and Rania finally got spliced last summer.
- get married
neutral and far more common; splice is informal British slang
- tie the knot
another informal idiom for marrying, common in both American and British English
- get divorced
the opposite of marrying
文法句型
get spliced (fixed phrase)
用法筆記
Nearly always appears as 'get spliced' (passive-like structure). The simple transitive form ('they spliced each other') is extremely rare and not recommended for learners.
常見錯誤
splice — noun
1. the place where two ends of rope, film, wire, or other long material have been p
the place where two ends of rope, film, wire, or other long material have been permanently joined together
The rope's splice came undone under the heavy weight of the cargo.
noun: splice as a physical join in rope
Benjamin checked every splice in the fishing net before the boat left the harbour.
A weak splice in the wiring caused the kitchen light to flicker every evening.
The film snapped at the splice between the two reels during the movie screening.
- joint
more general term for any point where things connect
- connection
focuses on the linking function rather than the physical join
- seam
used for fabric or sheets; less technical than splice
- break
the place where something is separated
用法筆記
Can refer to any type of joined material — ropes, cables, film, tape, or DNA sequences. The specific joining technique varies by material.