Sharp, jagged pieces of something that has broken, like glass, pottery, or ice.
From Old English 'sceard' (a piece cut or broken off), related to the verb 'shear' (to cut), suggesting something cut away from a whole.
Archaeologists love shards because broken pottery lasts thousands of years and tells stories—a broken piece of ancient Greek pottery can reveal what people ate, what they believed, and when they lived!
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