Definition

1. Noun:
   • A broken piece of a brittle artifact, especially of pottery, glass, or ceramic.
   • A hard, protective covering or scale, such as the wing case of a beetle.

Usage

• The word "shard" is used to describe a fragment of something that has been broken, typically something hard and brittle. It is most commonly associated with archaeological finds or broken household items.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The archaeologist carefully brushed the dirt from the shard of ancient pottery.
  • He carefully swept up every shard of glass from the broken window.
  • The beetle's colorful shards glistened in the sunlight.

Advanced Usage

• "Pottery shard": A specific term for a fragment of broken pottery, often found at archaeological sites.
  • The site was littered with pottery shards dating back to the Roman era.
• Used metaphorically to describe fragments of abstract things.
  • He tried to piece together the shards of his broken memory.

Variants and Related Words

• Sherd (noun): An alternative spelling, especially common in archaeology for "pottery sherd." It has the same meaning as "shard."
  • The box was filled with pottery sherds.
• Fragment (noun): A general synonym for a small part broken off something.
• Splinter (noun): A small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or similar material broken off from a larger piece.

Synonyms

• Fragment
• Piece
• Bit
• Splinter (for materials like wood or glass)
• Sherd (specifically for pottery)

Idioms and Phrases

• "Shards of glass": A common phrase describing broken glass.
  • The floor was covered in dangerous shards of glass.
• "Pick up the shards": Literally, to collect broken pieces; metaphorically, to deal with the aftermath of a destructive event.
  • After the argument, they were left to pick up the shards of their friendship.

Noun

1. a broken piece of a brittle artifact