1. A piece of broken pottery, especially one found in an archaeological dig; a potsherd. 2a. A fragment of a brittle substance, as of glass or metal. b. A small piece or part: “shards of intense emotional relationships that once existed” (Maggie Scarf). 3.Zoologya. A tough sheath or covering, such as a shell, scale, or plate. b. The elytron or outer wing covering of a beetle.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English sherd, from Old English sceard, cut, notch. See sker-1 in Appendix I.
shärd
