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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
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
For context, Juszczyk is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound behemoth whose knees probably feel like broken shards of glass at this point in his life.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
These shards travel billions of light-years across the universe and slam into Earth’s atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
Suddenly, the plane’s landing gear tires struck the truck, shaking it and sending shards of glass flying.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shard
Cite this Entry
“Shard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shard. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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shard
noun
