shred

[ shred ]

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.

3. 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.

shred

/ ʃrɛd /

noun

1. a long narrow strip or fragment torn or cut off
2. a very small piece or amount; scrap

verb

1. tr to tear or cut into shreds

Derived Forms

• ˈshredder, noun

Other Words From

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shred¹

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; screed

Word History and Origins

Origin of shred¹

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

Example Sentences

Except it wasn’t a terrifying beast — it was a person in a bear costume using a kitchen tool designed to shred meat, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

His mechanics were so out of whack that, during a month-long stint on the injured list in the summer, he went to a private facility in Florida, searching for any shred of consistent effectiveness.

From Los Angeles Times

The only shallow voters are the men who are so bitter that they would shred human rights to stick it to the ladies who swipe left on them.

From Salon

Always shred or properly destroy any papers containing personal details before disposing of them.

From Salon

In fact, since the first match-up of presidential understudies nearly 50 years ago, precisely zero have made a shred of difference in the race for the White House.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fragment
• iota
• modicum
• ounce
• sliver
• smidgen
• snippet
• speck
• whit