shard

noun

ˈshärd 

1

a

: a piece or fragment of a brittle substance

shards of glass

broadly : a small piece or part : scrap

little shards of time and space recorded by the camera's lens

—Rosalind Krauss

b

: shell, scale

especially : elytron

2

or sherd

ˈshərd 

: a fragment of a pottery vessel found on sites and in refuse deposits where pottery-making peoples have lived

3

: highly angular curved glass fragments of tuffaceous sediments

Did you know?

Shard dates back to Old English (where it was spelled sceard) and is related to Old English scieran, meaning "to cut." English speakers have adopted the modernized shard spelling for most uses, but archaeologists prefer to spell the word sherd when referring to the ancient fragments of pottery (sometimes referred to specifically as potsherds) they unearth. While shard initially referred to exactly such items, today the word is also used more broadly to encompass slivers of intangible concepts. A baseless accusation may be made "without a shard of evidence," and fans of the losing team may "cling to a shard of hope" until the final score. The utility of shard is its, ahem, point.

Examples of shard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Few shards of evidence remain from the scene of Silkwood's crash. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024

Foods that are rich in seasoning or flavor, like that delectable sweet potato casserole should probably be avoided as should any turkey that is on the bone as these bones are friable and can be easily crushed into sharp shards which can wreak havoc on a GI tract. —Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 21 Nov. 2024

The attacks can crumble building facades and scatter shards of glass. —Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024

Also, in the manufacturing process, all the shards of aluminum milled from the original block can be captured in the CNC machine and recycled. —Cameron Martindell, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sceard; akin to Old English scieran to cut — more at shear

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

shard

noun

ˈshärd 

: a piece or fragment of something brittle (as pottery)