shatter

Shatter is defined as to smash or break into many pieces.

(verb)

An example of shatter is to break a window by throwing a baseball into the top of the window.

Shatter means broken pieces.

(noun)

An example of shatter is an area of broken pieces of glass.

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See shatter in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

  1. Obsolete to scatter; strew
  2. to break or burst into pieces suddenly, as with a blow
  3. to damage severely; destroy or wreck: to shatter one's health

Origin: ME schateren, var. of scateren, to scatter

intransitive verb

to break or burst into pieces; smash

noun

broken pieces: chiefly in

See shatter in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters
verb, transitive
  1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow.
  2. a. To damage seriously; disable: His health was shattered by the disease.
    b. To cause the destruction or ruin of; destroy: The outcome of the conflict shattered our dreams of peace and prosperity.
verb, intransitive
To break into pieces; smash or burst. See Synonyms at break.
noun
  1. a. The act of shattering.
    b. The condition of being shattered.
  2. A splintered or fragmented condition. Often used in the plural: a rare piece of porcelain now in shatters.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English schateren

Origin: , from Old English *sceaterian, to scatter

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Related Forms:

  • shatˈter·ing·ly adverb

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