shred

[ shred ]
See synonyms for: shredshreddedshredding on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a piece cut or torn off, especially in a narrow strip.

  2. a bit; scrap: We haven't got a shred of evidence.

verb (used with object),shred·ded or shred, shred·ding.
  1. to cut or tear into small pieces, especially small strips; reduce to shreds: I shred my credit card statement every month.

verb (used without object),shred·ded or shred, shred·ding.
  1. to be cut up, torn, etc.: The blouse had shredded in the wash.

  2. Slang. to snowboard, skateboard, surf, or ski in a highly skilled or showily spectacular manner: I bought a new action camera that I can mount to my helmet—stay tuned for rad videos of me shredding when I hit the slopes next weekend.

  1. Slang. to play guitar very quickly with specific picking techniques, as during an electric guitar solo: Fans in the mosh pit go wild when Eddie shreds on lead guitar.

Origin of shred

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun shrede, schrede, shredd, Old English scrēade, scrēad “a cutting, a scrap”; cognate with Old Norse skrjōthr “worn-out book,” German Schrot “chips”; Middle English verb schreden “to chop, cut up,” Old English scrēadian “to pare, trim, prune (trees)”; akin to shroud; cf. screed

Other words from shred

  • shred·less, adjective
  • shred·like, adjective
  • un·shred·ded, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shred in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shred

shred

/ (ʃrɛd) /


noun
  1. a long narrow strip or fragment torn or cut off

  2. a very small piece or amount; scrap

verbshreds, shredding, shredded or shred
  1. (tr) to tear or cut into shreds

Origin of shred

1
Old English scread; related to Old Norse skrjōthr torn-up book, Old High German scrōt cut-off piece; see scroll, shroud, screed

Derived forms of shred

  • shredder, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012