flakelet

Flakelet refers to a small fragment or scale that has broken off from a larger object. The term is often used in contexts where a material is characterized by its flaky or layered structure. For example, in geology, a flakelet might describe a tiny piece of shale or mica. In metallurgy, it can refer to a small chip of metal that has been dislodged from a surface due to wear or stress. The term is also sometimes used in discussions of snow, where a flakelet would be a very small, individual snow crystal. The size and characteristics of a flakelet depend heavily on the parent material from which it originated. Its presence can be indicative of processes such as erosion, abrasion, or fracture.