Shard (noun)

1. A piece or fragment of a brittle substance such as glass, pottery or rock.
2. A piece of a broken or damaged object.

Origin:

Derived from the middle english word 'scharf' meaning 'a piece or fragment'.

Examples:

1. The vase shattered into a million tiny shards on the floor.
2. The archaeologists found several shards of pottery at the dig site.
3. The shards of rock lay scattered across the field.
4. The shards of glass were carefully collected and disposed of.
5. The shards of the broken mirror were difficult to clean up.