shard

Everyday

1. A sharp, broken piece of glass, pottery, metal or ice. tree →
2. (archaeology) A broken piece of old pottery found in the ground, also called a potsherd. tree →
3. (figurative) A small sharp bit of something, like «a shard of light» or «a shard of memory». tree →

In the lessons

In safety lessons shards warn that broken glass must be swept up by an adult and wrapped before going in the bin. In history and archaeology lessons pottery shards help experts learn how people lived long ago. In stories shards make a scene feel sharp and dangerous. The Shard is also a very tall pointed skyscraper in London, named for looking like a glass shard.

Examples

• A shard of glass lay on the kitchen floor after the cup broke. tree →
• Don't touch the shards — let me sweep them up. tree →
• The archaeologists found Roman pottery shards in the field. tree →
• A shard of ice fell from the gutter. tree →
• A shard of sunlight came through the gap in the curtains. tree →
• From the top of the Shard you can see all of London. tree →
• Wrap the broken shards in newspaper before you throw them away. tree →

Note

Countable: a shard, shards. Usually used about hard, brittle things that break, not about soft things like paper. Safety: never pick up glass shards with bare hands.