shard
UK[ʃɑːd]US[ʃɑːrd]
n
A piece of a brittle substance, especially of broken glass or pottery.
Etymology
The word 'shard' has a direct and ancient lineage from Old English sceard, which itself evolved from the Proto-Germanic skardaz, meaning "notched" or "damaged." This root is connected to the Proto-Indo-European base (s)ker-, meaning "to cut," which is the source for many words related to cutting and separating, such as 'shear,' 'score,' and 'short.' The original sense of a gap or notch broadened to refer specifically to a broken piece or fragment, particularly of a hard, brittle material. Its modern usage retains this concrete focus on fragments, most commonly associated with broken glass or ceramics.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It originates from Old English sceard, meaning "a gap, incision, or fragment." Its functional role is as a complete lexical root.
Examples
She carefully swept up the shards of the broken vase.
Archaeologists painstakingly reassembled the pot from its scattered shards.
The explosion sent shards of window glass flying across the street.