potsherd

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English pot-sherd, pot-schord, pot scherd, pot scarth, from Middle English pot, pote, potte (“a container, pot, vessel; especially an earthenware vessel”) (from late Old English pot, pott (“a pot”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *budn- (“a type of vessel”)) + Middle English sherd (“piece of fired clay or broken earthenware; potsherd”) (from Old English sceard (“a shard, sherd”), from Proto-Germanic *skardą (“a nick, notch”)); equivalent to pot +‎ sherd (“shard”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɒt.ʃɜːd/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpɑt.ʃəɹd/ Hyphenation: pot‧sherd === Noun === potsherd (plural potsherds) (often archaeology) A piece of ceramic from pottery, often found on an archaeological site. Synonyms: shard, sherd ==== Alternative forms ==== potshard, pot-sherd ==== Translations ==== === References === “potsherd” in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary: Based on Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 8th edition, Springfield, Mass.: G[eorge] & C[harles] Merriam, 1973 (1974 printing), →OCLC. === Further reading === sherd on Wikipedia.Wikipedia