# splice

/ˈspɫaɪs/ (US) · /splˈaɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/splice
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to join ropes or cables

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to join two pieces of rope or wire by weaving the ends together.

For teachers: to unite two ropes or cables by interweaving the strands of the ends. Transitive; often implies a permanent and strong connection.

- The sailor showed us how to splice the two ropes together so they wouldn't slip.
- The technician had to splice the damaged fibre-optic cables to restore the internet connection to the building.

Usage: Often used with the particle 'together'.

### 2. to edit film or audio

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to join two pieces of film or tape together to make one long piece.

For teachers: to join two lengths of film, magnetic tape, or digital media by overlapping or butting the ends.

- The editor had to splice several scenes together to finish the movie.
- Before digital editing became standard, filmmakers had to physically cut and splice celluloid strips to create a final cut.

### 3. genetics

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to join different pieces of DNA or RNA together.

For teachers: to remove intron sequences from pre-messenger RNA and join exons together, or to join genetic material from different sources.

- Scientists can splice genes from one plant into another to make it stronger.
- The process of alternative splicing allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins by varying which exons are joined.

### 4. to get married

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Slang · British English

to get married to someone.

For teachers: to unite two people in marriage. Usually used in the passive voice as 'to get spliced'.

- Did you hear that Jim and Sarah finally got spliced last weekend?
- After a decade of dating, the couple decided it was finally time to get spliced in a quiet ceremony by the coast.

Teaching tip: This is a humorous, old-fashioned slang term; it is rarely used in formal contexts.

### 5. a junction

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the place where two things, like ropes or wires, have been joined together.

For teachers: a physical junction or connection made by splicing ropes, wires, or other materials.

- The electrician checked the splice in the wire to make sure it was safe.
- The structural integrity of the bridge depended on the quality of each cable splice.

## Examples

- The sailor replaced the damaged splice in the main line.
- After the storm, the crew spent the afternoon repairing the splices in the anchor chains to ensure they were safe for the next voyage.
- The quality of the splice is critical to the structural integrity of the rigging; a poorly executed repair can lead to catastrophic failure under heavy load.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.