1. plural of ostrakon; pottery shards or shells used in ancient Athens for voting to exile a citizen
Usage: historical; often used in academic contexts about ancient Greece

Examples

• Archaeologists discovered thousands of ostraka bearing the names of prominent Athenian citizens.
• The practice of ostracism relied on citizens writing names on ostraka during the vote.
• Many ostraka from the 5th century BCE have been preserved in museums.
• Scholars study ostraka to understand which leaders were most unpopular in ancient Athens.
• The word ostracism itself derives from the ostraka used in the voting process.