shard  (shärd) 
n. A piece of broken pottery, especially one found in an archaeological dig; a potsherd. A fragment of a brittle substance, as of glass or metal. A small piece or part: "shards of intense emotional relationships that once existed" (Maggie Scarf). A tough sheath or covering, such as a shell, scale, or plate. The elytron or outer wing covering of a beetle.
Zoology A tough sheath or covering, such as a shell, scale, or plate. The elytron or outer wing covering of a beetle.
[Middle English sherd, from Old English sceard, cut, notch; see sker-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
