shred

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ʃɹɛd/ Rhymes: -ɛd === Etymology 1 === From Middle English shrede, shred (“fragment, piece, scrap; piece cut off from something; strip of material; ornamental strip hanging from the edge of a garment; thread; band or thread woven in a garment; element, streak; plant (?)”) [and other forms], from Late Old English sċrēad, sċrēade (“piece cut off from something; a paring; a shred”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudō (“a piece, shred; a crack; a cut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off”). Doublet of escrow. ==== Noun ==== shred (plural shreds) A fragment of something; a particle; a piece; also, a very small amount. Synonyms: ounce; see also Thesaurus:modicum A long, narrow piece (especially of fabric) cut or torn off; a strip; specifically, a piece of cloth or clothing. (by extension) A thin strand or wisp, as of a cloud, mist, etc. (cooking) A thin strip of fruit peel, a vegetable, etc., cut so that it curls. (archaic) A piece of gold or silver lace or thread. (rare) A shard or sherd (“a piece of broken glass or pottery”). (obsolete) A tailor. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== screed ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === The verb is derived from Middle English shreden, shred (“to chop, cut up; to cut, hack; to wound with a knife; to cut off a part of (something); to prune, trim”) [and other forms], from Old English sċrēadian (“to cut up, shred; to cut off; to prune, trim”), from Proto-West Germanic *skraudōn, related to Proto-West Germanic *skraudan (“to cut up; to shred”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudaną (“to cut up; to shred”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off”). The adjective is derived from the past participle form of the verb. ==== Verb ==== shred (third-person singular simple present shreds, present participle shredding, simple past shredded, past participle shredded or shred) (transitive) To cut or tear (something) into long, narrow pieces or strips. (specifically) To destroy (a document) by cutting or tearing into strips or small pieces that cannot easily be read, especially using a shredder. (cooking) To cut (fruit peel, a vegetable, etc.) into thin strips that curl. To separate (something) into small portions. (figuratively, chiefly slang) To reduce (something) by a large percentage; to slash. (music) Chiefly in rock and heavy metal: to play (a musical instrument (especially a guitar) or a piece of music) very fast and in a way that requires technical skill. (snowboarding, surfing) To cut through (snow, water, etc.) swiftly with one's snowboard, surfboard, etc.; (by extension) to move or ride along (a road, track, etc.) aggressively and rapidly. (originally US) To convincingly defeat (someone); to thrash, to trounce. (archaic) To cut or sever (something) into two parts. (obsolete) To chop or cut (something) into pieces. To cut, lop, or strip (branches, etc.) off; also, to cut (a piece) from something. To prune or trim (a tree, a vineyard, etc.). (intransitive) To become separated into small portions. (bodybuilding) To reduce body weight due to fat and water before a competition. (snowboarding, surfing, etc.) To travel swiftly using a snowboard, surfboard, or vehicle. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== shred (comparative more shred, superlative most shred) Synonym of shredded (“cut or torn into narrow strips or small pieces”). ===== Translations ===== === References === === Further reading === shredding on Wikipedia.Wikipedia William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “shred”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “shred”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. === Anagrams === herds, sherd