shard
/ʃɑ:d/ Cách viết khác : (sherd) /ʃə:d/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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
- a broken piece of a brittle artifact