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.)
Defn: A variety of blue slate.
4. (Naut.)
Defn: 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.]
SHIVER
Shiv"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shivered; p. pr. & vb. n. Shivering.]
Etym: [OE. schiveren, scheveren; cf. OD. scheveren. See Shiver a
fragment.]
Defn: 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.