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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
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
Keep any broken terra-cotta pots to use as drainage shards in the bottom.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
The 39-year-old artist was finally gaining recognition abroad for his contorted, geometric sculptures made of thousands of hand-cut mirror shards reaching as high as 27 feet.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shard. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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shard
noun
