The joining of two ropes together. Familiarly, two persons joined in wedlock.
♦ To splice. To join the two untwisted ends of a rope together. There are several methods of making a splice, according to the services for which it is intended; as:
♦ The long rolling splice is chiefly used in lead-lines, log-lines, and fishing-lines, where the short splice would be liable to separation, as being frequently loosened by the water.
♦ The long splice occupies a great extent of rope, but by the three joinings being fixed at a distance from each other, the increase of bulk is divided; hence it resembles a continuous lay, and is adapted to run through the sheave-hole of a block, &c., for which use it is generally intended.
♦ The short splice is used upon cables, slings, block-strops, and, in general, all ropes which are not intended to run through blocks.
♦ Spliced eye forms a sort of eye or circle at the end of a rope, and is used for splicing in thimbles, bull's-eyes, &c., and generally on the end of lashing block-strops. (See eye-splice.)