shard

[ shahrd ]

noun

1. a fragment, especially of broken earthenware.
2. Zoology.
   1. a scale.
   2. a shell, as of an egg or snail.
3. Entomology. an elytron of a beetle.

shard

/ ʃɑːd /

noun

1. a broken piece or fragment of a brittle substance, esp of pottery
2. zoology a tough sheath, scale, or shell, esp the elytra of a beetle

Word History and Origins

Origin of shard¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English sceard; cognate with Low German, Dutch schaard; akin to shear

Word History and Origins

Origin of shard¹

Old English sceard; related to Old Norse skarth notch, Middle High German scharte notch

Example Sentences

Pottery shards, cremation sites and rock art can be found throughout the region.

From Los Angeles Times

All that is left of the residential building in Beit Lahia is a pile of rubble, with broken concrete and jagged shards of twisted metal sticking out from the ruins.

From BBC

They found burial sites, thousands of pottery shards and other signs that the territory was populated.

From BBC

He’s there and the shards are pretty sharp even though it’s sugar water.

From Los Angeles Times

Her albums are forged from the shards of relationships gone bad.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fragment
• particle
• remnant