shred

Meaning

Noun

1. A fragment of something; a particle; a piece; also, a very small amount.
2. A long, narrow piece (especially of fabric) cut or torn off; a strip; specifically, a piece of cloth or clothing.
3. (broadly) A long, narrow piece (especially of fabric) cut or torn off; a strip; specifically, a piece of cloth or clothing.
4. A long, narrow piece (especially of fabric) cut or torn off; a strip; specifically, a piece of cloth or clothing.
5. (archaic) A piece of gold or silver lace or thread.
6. (rare) A shard or sherd (“a piece of broken glass or pottery”).
7. (obsolete) A tailor.

Verb

1. (transitive) To cut or tear (something) into long, narrow pieces or strips.
2. (specifically, transitive) To destroy (a document) by cutting or tearing into strips or small pieces that cannot easily be read, especially using a shredder.
3. (specifically, transitive) To cut (fruit peel, a vegetable, etc.) into thin strips that curl.
4. (transitive) To separate (something) into small portions.
5. (figuratively, slang, transitive) To reduce (something) by a large percentage; to slash.
6. (figuratively, slang, transitive) 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.
7. (figuratively, slang, transitive) 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.
8. (figuratively, slang, transitive) To convincingly defeat (someone); to thrash, to trounce.
9. (archaic, transitive) To cut or sever (something) into two parts.
10. (obsolete, transitive) To chop or cut (something) into pieces.
11. (obsolete, transitive) To cut, lop, or strip (branches, etc.) off; also, to cut (a piece) from something.
12. (obsolete, transitive) To prune or trim (a tree, a vineyard, etc.).
13. (intransitive) To become separated into small portions.
14. (intransitive) To reduce body weight due to fat and water before a competition.
15. (intransitive, usually) To travel swiftly using a snowboard, surfboard, or vehicle.

Adj

Synonym of shredded (“cut or torn into narrow strips or small pieces”).

Synonyms

rag

scrap

piece

tatter

fragment

patch

tear

scintilla

rip

splinter

part

strip

snatch

iota

whit

tear up

bit

mince

scrape

tag end

rend

wisp

crumble

hack

jot

lint

morsel

powder

ribbon

🎀

rip up

slip

sliver

smidgen

smidgeon

smidgin

snip

split

tab

tag

tittle

smidge

atomic

dice

break into pieces

rive

rub

dab

cut up

crumb

scraps

Translations

lambeau

chiffon

Fetzen

zerfetzen

Lappen

déchiqueter

fetzen

trapo

brandello

trapo

jirón

κουρέλι

Flicken

κομματιάζω

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃɹɛd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: shrede

Inherited from Old English: sċrēad

Inherited from Middle English: shreden

Inherited from Old English: sċrēadian

In summary

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.