potsherd

[ pot-shurd ]

noun

1. a broken pottery fragment, especially one of archaeological value.

potsherd

/ ˈpɒtˌʃɜːd; ˈpɒtˌʃɑːd /

noun

1. a broken fragment of pottery

Word History and Origins

Origin of potsherd¹

1275–1325; Middle English; equivalent to pot pot ¹ + sherd, variant of shard

Word History and Origins

Origin of potsherd¹

C14: from pot ¹+ schoord piece of broken crockery; see shard

Example Sentences

These biblical accounts of the human spirit’s estrangements from nature turn the latter’s enticements into signs of human futility: A central prayer in the liturgy of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, originated the claim that “man’s origin is dust, and his destiny is dust,” depicting every individual life “as a fragile potsherd, as the grass that withers, as the flower that fades, as the fleeting shadow, as the passing cloud, as the wind that blows, as the floating dust, and even as a dream that vanishes.”

From Salon

In scene two, Sapiens appear, evidenced by a human bone, a spear point, or perhaps a potsherd.

From Literature

“Normally we just take a piece of potsherd and grind it up,” she said.

From New York Times

Back at the dig site, all eyes were on Jeremiah Perkins as he lifted the hefty black potsherd from the dirt.

From Los Angeles Times

First, no matter how devastating an extraterrestrial impact might be, are we to believe that after centuries of flourishing every last tool, potsherd, article of clothing, and, presumably from an advanced civilization, writing, metallurgy and other technologies—not to mention trash—was erased?

From Scientific American