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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
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Her mug of vodka cracks, leaking alcohol onto her computer, which then explodes, sending a shard of glass flying into her throat.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
His successors must do without such yarns, and content themselves with shards of talk scattered to the breeze.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 25 Apr. 2025
Finding a shattered ceramic pot in the backyard is not uncommon—unless the shards turn out to be the work of one of the 20th century's most significant ceramicists.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shard
Cite this Entry
“Shard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shard. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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shard
noun
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