noun
shard
shahd
Shard (noun) means a sharp broken piece of glass, pottery, or similar brittle material. Example: “He cut his foot on a shard of glass hidden in the sand.”
noun
1
A sharp broken piece of glass, pottery, or similar brittle material.
"He cut his foot on a shard of glass hidden in the sand."
"Archaeologists found shards of ancient pottery at the site."
2
In computing, one segment of a database or online game world that has been split up to spread the load across multiple servers.
"The game assigns each new player to a shard with lighter traffic."
How to use shard
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sharp broken fragment, or (in tech) one partitioned piece of a larger system.
Common pairings
shard of glass
pottery shards
database shard
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Word forms
- Plural
- shards
- Third person singular
- shards
- Past tense
- sharded
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He cut his foot on a _____ of glass hidden in the sand.
Etymology
From Old English sceard, "a broken piece," related to an old root meaning "to cut."
Synonyms
View more →
fragment
sherd
Related words
Rhymes for shard
See all rhymes for shard →Frequently asked questions
What does “shard” mean?
The word “shard” means a sharp broken piece of glass, pottery, or similar brittle material. In plain terms, a sharp broken fragment, or (in tech) one partitioned piece of a larger system.
How do you pronounce “shard”?
“Shard” is pronounced shahd (/ʃɑɹd/ in IPA).
How do you use “shard” in a sentence?
Here is “shard” used in a sentence: “He cut his foot on a shard of glass hidden in the sand.”
What part of speech is “shard”?
“Shard” is a noun.
Where does the word “shard” come from?
The word “shard” comes from Old English. From Old English sceard, "a broken piece," related to an old root meaning "to cut.".
How many meanings does “shard” have?
“Shard” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sharp broken piece of glass, pottery, or similar brittle material.
