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

The team found little overlap between leaps in lactose tolerance and heightened milk consumption, inferred by the presence of milk-fat residues from some 13,000 potsherds from more than 550 archaeological sites across Europe.

From Scientific American

Lara Maiklem, author of “Mudlark: In Search of London’s Past Along the River Thames,” scours the shoreline for artifacts such as coins, tokens, buckles and potsherds, some dating to the period of Roman rule.

From Seattle Times

“Conqueror after conqueror has come, ruled for a while, left behind a few walls and towers, some cracks in the stone, a handful of potsherds and documents, and disappeared,” Oz wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

The land in the monument descends from high, pine-studded mesas to dry sandstone canyons laden with ancient native artifacts—rock art, shelters, potsherds, burial grounds—that are sacred to many southwestern tribes.

From National Geographic

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

From Literature