1. One who, or that which, splits or cleaves, in various senses.
1648. Hexham, II. Een Kliever, a Cleaver, or a Splitter.
1706. Stevens, Span. Dict., Rajador, a Hewer, a Cleaver, a Splitter.
1731. Swift, Div. Ch. Livings, Misc. (1735), V. 127. How shou’d we rejoice, if … Those Splitters of Parsons in sunder shou’d burst.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1141. The splitter begins by dividing the block [of slate] … to a proper size.
1889. Welch, Text Bk. Naval Archit., iv. 77. For lap-work, a tool called a splitter is employed to make a split in one of the edges.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 144. It is taken from the annealing-kiln … to be cut up by the ‘splitter’ to the best advantage.
b. spec. One employed in splitting fish.
1623. Whitbourne, Newfoundland, 82. Seuen are to be skilfull headders, and splitters of fish.
c. 1682. J. Collins, Salt & Fishery, 91. The Splitters immediately split them, beginning at the Tail, and so continue to the Head, close by the back Fin.
1761. Ann. Reg., Chron., 188/2. Every boat-master, splitter and master-voyage [sic], who are the chief people among the fishermen and shoremen.
1822. Hibbert, Descr. Shetl. Isl., 519. A splitter, as he is called, then, with a large knife, cuts a fish open from the head to the tail.
1883. L. Z. Joncas, Fisheries Canada, 16. The splitter now seizes the fish, and with a single stroke of his knife he removes the back bone.
c. Austr. A wood-cutter.
1841. in J. D. Lang, Phillipsland (1847), 133. Mokitte, (Jajowrong) shot near Mount Cole; it is said by a [timber] Splitter.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Splitter, a name in Tasmania for a wood-cutter.
1870. A. L. Gordon, Bush Ballads, 32. At the splitter’s tent I had seen the track of horse-hoofs.
2. fig. In phrases. One who makes fine or subtle distinctions.
1699. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Splitter-of-Causes, a Lawyer.
1771. Ann. Reg., Hist. Europe, 32/1. Of which they were as well qualified to judge as the most acute and subtil splitter of cases in all the courts.
1863. Miss Braddon, Aurora Floyd, vi. The splitter of metaphysical straws and chopper of logic.
b. One who favors minute subdivision in scientific classification.
1887. Darwin’s Life & Lett., II. 105, note. Those who make many species are the ‘splitters,’ and those who make few are the ‘lumpers.’
1898. Athenæum, 22 Jan., 123/1. Babington belonged to that category of botanists … denominated ‘splitters.’
3. A splitting headache.
1860. Thackeray, Lovel, v. (1869), 224. I have got such a splitter of a headache.
1886. Punch, 27 Nov., 263. Next morning Mr. Dumpkin has a headache, such a Splitter!!
4. One who causes splitting of votes.
1895. Westm. Gaz., 4 March, 2/2. The figure cut by the splitters themselves has in all cases been very poor.
