fragment
/ˈfræɡmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfræɡmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfrag-mənt/ (ame, mw) · /fræɡˈment/ (bre, ipa) · /fræɡˈment/ (ame, ipa)
fragment — noun
- fragmentsingular
- fragmentsplural
1. a very small part that has come away from something larger when it is dropped, h
a very small part that has come away from something larger when it is dropped, hit, or broken — for example, a tiny piece of glass on the floor after a window breaks
Yuki picked up a tiny glass fragment from the kitchen floor after dropping a vase.
collocation: glass fragment
The archaeologists sifted through layers of soil looking for small bone fragments.
collocation: bone fragment
Ryan found fragments of the broken lock scattered across the garage floor.
The letter was so old that only fragments of the handwriting could still be read.
Tamar swept the fragments of the fallen roof tile into a dustpan.
- piece
broader, neutral term for any part of something; does not imply breakage
- bit
even smaller than a piece; less specific about how it became separated
- splinter
a long, thin, sharp piece, especially of wood, glass, or metal
- scrap
usually for paper, fabric, or metal; implies cutting or tearing rather than shattering
用法筆記
Common in physical breakage contexts (glass, pottery, bone, rock). Also extends figuratively to incomplete pieces of information, writing, or memory. Unlike 'scrap' (for paper or fabric), 'fragment' usually implies that the original object was hard or brittle.
常見錯誤
2. a piece that has come off something hard and fragile, like a clay pot, glass bot
a piece that has come off something hard and fragile, like a clay pot, glass bottle, or ancient object that was once whole
Nila labeled each clay fragment from the excavation with the date and location.
archaeological context: clay fragment from excavation
The museum displayed a Roman glass fragment that was over two thousand years old.
collocation: Roman glass fragment
Quan cleaned the dust from an ancient ceramic fragment with a soft brush.
Layla compared her pottery fragment with photographs of similar pieces from the same period.
Thin fragments of the old windowpane lay scattered near the broken wooden frame.
- whole vessel
an intact pot, jar, or bottle that has not been broken
- intact object
any object that remains complete and unbroken
用法筆記
More specific than sense 1 — applies mainly to brittle materials like ceramic, glass, or bone. Frequently used in archaeology and museum contexts. The synonyms 'shard' (common for glass or pottery) and 'sherd' (archaeological shorthand for potsherd) are more precise alternatives in these fields.
常見錯誤
fragment — verb
- fragmentpresent simple I / you / we / they
- fragments3rd person singular
- fragmenting-ing form
- fragmentedpast simple
1. for a hard or brittle object to split into many small pieces, or to make it do t
for a hard or brittle object to split into many small pieces, or to make it do this — for example, a stone hits a car window and the glass breaks into tiny bits
Joaquín watched the windscreen fragment as a stone struck it on the highway.
fragment — intransitive, describing a sudden event
Ife watched the old mirror fragment into tiny pieces when it hit the cold tiles.
perception verb + object + fragment (bare infinitive) — watches something break
The force of the hammer caused the concrete slab to fragment into several uneven pieces.
Dylan wore safety glasses while fragmenting the old paving stones with a heavy drill.
Brittle objects like ceramic pots often fragment when dropped onto a hard floor.
- shatter
implies breaking into many pieces violently and completely; stronger and more dramatic than fragment
- splinter
breaks into long, thin sharp pieces; specifically for wood, glass, or metal
- crack
forms a line or fissure but the object may stay whole; less destructive than fragment
- crumble
breaks into powder or small grains; for dry, weak materials like old plaster or soil
文法句型
something + fragments + (into something)
someone + fragments + something + (into something)
用法筆記
Common in passive voice ('the bone was fragmented by the impact') and in constructions describing sudden physical force (dropping, striking, exploding). The verb works both transitively ('He fragmented the rock') and intransitively ('The rock fragmented'). Unlike 'shatter' (which implies total destruction into many pieces), 'fragment' can describe splitting into a smaller number of pieces.