noun

1. A piece of broken glass or pottery, especially one found in an archaeological dig.

2. (by extension) A piece of material, especially rock and similar materials, reminding of a broken piece of glass or pottery.

3. A tough scale, sheath, or shell; especially an elytron of a beetle.

Synonyms: partition, potsherd, splinter

verb

1. To fall apart into shards, usually as the result of impact or explosion.

2. To break (something) into shards.

3. To divide (an MMORPG) into several shards, or to establish a shard of one.