Definition of the word shatter

The word "shatter" has its roots in Old English. The verb "scatian" meant "to split or break", and it was used to describe the act of breaking or cracking something into pieces. This Old English verb is thought to have been derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*skatiz", which is also the source of the Modern English word "schism". In the 14th century, the Middle English verb "shaten" emerged, which meant "to break or shatter" and was often used to describe the breaking of glass or other brittle materials. Over time, the spelling evolved to "shatter", and the verb took on its modern meaning of breaking or breaking into pieces suddenly. Today, the word "shatter" is used in a variety of contexts, including military contexts (e.g. "the bomb shattered the glass"), material science (e.g. "the material shattered under the force of the impact"), and even idiomatic expressions (e.g. "her dreams were shattered").