screed

American  

[skreed] / skrid /

noun

1. a long discourse or essay, especially a diatribe.

2. an informal letter, account, or other piece of writing.

3. Building Trades.

   1. a strip of plaster or wood applied to a surface to be plastered to serve as a guide for making a true surface.

   2. a wooden strip serving as a guide for making a true level surface on a concrete pavement or the like.

   3. a board or metal strip dragged across a freshly poured concrete slab to give it its proper level.

4. British Dialect. a fragment or shred, as of cloth.

5. Scot.

   1. a tear or rip, especially in cloth.

   2. a drinking bout.

---

verb (used with or without object)

1. Scot. to tear, rip, or shred, as cloth.

screed British  

/ skriːd /

noun

1. a long or prolonged speech or piece of writing

2. a strip of wood, plaster, or metal placed on a surface to act as a guide to the thickness of the cement or plaster coat to be applied

3. a mixture of cement, sand, and water applied to a concrete slab, etc, to give a smooth surface finish

4. a rent or tear or the sound produced by this

---

Etymology

Origin of screed

1275–1325; Middle English screde torn fragment, irregular (with sc- for sh- ) representing Old English scrēade shred

Example Sentences

Reading Mr. Huang’s screed, one concludes that the government is trapped in a mess of its own making.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger," he wrote, singling out Kelly as the only one of the six who is still subject to the UCMJ.

From BBC

“Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion—which only puts our warriors in danger.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Less apology than explanation, and less explanation than soul-searching screed, this novel has a huge voice, a woman’s attempt to create meaning from the depths of family trauma.

From Los Angeles Times

Then come the thinkpieces — and yes, you could say this very piece you’re reading isn’t exempt from that label — and the gossipy screeds.

From Salon

Related Words

• account
• agenda
• archive
• ballot
• bill
• calendar
• catalog
• checklist
• dictionary
• directory
• draft
• file
• index
• inventory
• lineup
• listing
• menu
• poll
• program
• schedule