Ostracon
/ˈɒstrəkɒn/noun
A potsherd or piece of broken pottery, especially one used in ancient Greece for writing or voting.
Did you know?The word is tied to Greek voting by ostracism, where names were scratched onto pottery shards—literally turning broken clay into political power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄστρακον (óstrakon)
“a shell, potsherd, or piece of broken pottery”
Classical Greek
Greek
ὀστρακισμός (ostrakismós)
“banishment by vote using shards marked with names”
Late Latin
Latin
ostracum
“a shell or potsherd”
Middle English
English
ostrakon / ostracon
“a potsherd, especially one used for writing”
Modern English
English
ostracon
“a potsherd or inscribed pottery shard from antiquity”
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