shatter — to break suddenly into many small pieces
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to break suddenly into many small pieces
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈʃætər/
Example Sentences
- The earthquake shattered windows throughout the city.
- My phone screen shattered after I tried to use it as a tennis racket.
- Her world-record attempt was shattered when she tripped over her own shoelaces.
shatter
VERB[/ˈʃætər/]
to break suddenly into many small pieces
The earthquake caused the giant stained-glass window to shatter.
The frozen lake began to shatter under the pressure. (BREAK + FRAGMENTS = SHATTER → shatter means to break suddenly into many pieces)
The crystal shattered, the pieces scattered, and the celebration suddenly changed.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'shateren', likely of imitative or onomatopoetic origin, possibly influenced by Old Norse 'skjota' (to shoot) or related to the sound of breaking. The word emerged in the 13th-14th centuries to describe the act of breaking into fragments.
Breakdown
shat- (root, possibly imitative of breaking sound) + -er (verb/agent suffix) = shatter (to break into pieces)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The earthquake shattered windows throughout the city.”
“My phone screen shattered after I tried to use it as a tennis racket.”
“Her world-record attempt was shattered when she tripped over her own shoelaces.”
“The vase shattered into a thousand pieces.”
📚Related Words
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