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shard

noun \ˈshärd\

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

Full Definition of SHARD

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

or sherd \ˈshərd\ : fragments of pottery vessels found on sites and in refuse deposits where pottery-making peoples have lived

: highly angular curved glass fragments of tuffaceous sediments

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Origin of SHARD

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Archaeology Terms

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

Rhymes with SHARD

bard, barred, card, chard, Dard, fard, guard, hard, lard, nard, pard, sard, yard

SHARD Defined for Kids

shard

noun \ˈshärd\

Definition of SHARD for Kids

: a sharp piece or fragment of something

Learn More About SHARD

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "shard"

Nglish: Translation of "shard" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "shard" for Arabic speakers

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