shard

noun \ ˈshärd \

Definition of shard

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 play \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

See shard defined for English-language learners

See shard defined for kids

shard was our Word of the Day on 11/13/2013. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of shard from the Web

White Walkers are an ancient race of ice creatures created thousands of years ago when the Children of the Forest—specifically Leaf—drove a shard of dragonglass through the heart of one of the First Men.

— chanel vargas, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Game of Thrones Fan Theory Says Losing a Dragon May Have Been Worth It," 24 Aug. 2017
After Hurricane Wilma blew out windows from the Four Seasons and Conrad Hotels in 2005, leaving giant shards of glass strewn along Brickell Avenue, they were replaced with tempered glass that shatters into tiny cubes.

— rene rodriguez, miamiherald, "Should you ride out a hurricane in a high-rise?," 23 Aug. 2017
Its distinctive appearance - big slabs of crystal, or smaller shards - became synonymous with purity.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "I-10 'Pipeline' keeps meth coming to Mobile area," 9 Aug. 2017
The Glass Castle is a slapdash construction, all shards crudely fused together.

— richard lawson, HWD, "The Glass Castle Review: An Adaptation That’s Not Nearly Shattering Enough," 7 Aug. 2017
The foundation was busted up and hauled off long ago, but there are still a few shards of lumber, swatches of insulation, and a ten-foot section of an oak tree—

— brantley hargrove, Popular Mechanics, "How to Stop the Wind," 3 Aug. 2017
The shards that cut me the deepest were the ones that intended to cut.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Michelle Obama Opens Up About The Racism She Faced As First Lady," 26 July 2017
Images of the artwork posted to Ynetnews, an Israeli news outlet, showed shards of glass, a charred tin can, two spoons and a sign explaining the significance of the site and warning visitors not to remove anything from the grounds.

— megan specia, New York Times, "Israeli Student’s Use of Auschwitz Artifacts in an Art Exhibit Prompts a Furor," 19 July 2017
And for hours, debris, including shards of glass and a chunk of burning wall, rained down on the streets and balconies below.

— avi selk, Washington Post, "Three killed in Honolulu skyscraper after tower with no sprinklers catches fire," 15 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Shard dates back to Old English (where it was spelled sceard), and it is related to the Old English word scieran, meaning "to cut." English speakers have adopted the modernized shard spelling for most uses, but archeologists prefer to spell the word sherd when referring to the ancient fragments of pottery they unearth. Other specialized uses of the word shard include a sense referring to the thick front wings in beetles that protect a hind pair of wings and another sense used for the highly angular curved glass fragments of a type of volcanic rock formation.

Origin and Etymology of shard

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Archaeology Terms

Attic, Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, stratum

SHARD Defined for English Language Learners

shard

noun

Definition of shard for English Language Learners

: a sharp piece of something (such as glass or pottery)

SHARD Defined for Kids

shard

noun \ ˈshärd \

Definition of shard for Students

:a sharp piece or fragment of something

Learn More about shard

See words that rhyme with shard Spanish Central: Translation of shard Nglish: Translation of shard for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shard for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up shard? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

shard

Definition of shard

shard was our Word of the Day on 11/13/2013. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of shard from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of shard

Other Archaeology Terms

SHARD Defined for English Language Learners

shard

Definition of shard for English Language Learners

SHARD Defined for Kids

shard

Definition of shard for Students

Learn More about shard

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

adversity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

I'll Have the Us(ual)

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

The Exceptions Quiz III

Forms of Government Quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066

shard

Definition of shard

Explore Merriam-Webster

shard was our Word of the Day on 11/13/2013. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of shard from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of shard

Other Archaeology Terms

SHARD Defined for English Language Learners

shard

Definition of shard for English Language Learners

SHARD Defined for Kids

shard

Definition of shard for Students

Learn More about shard

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066