shred
Americannoun
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a piece cut or torn off, especially in a narrow strip.
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a bit; scrap.
We haven't got a shred of evidence.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be cut up, torn, etc..
The blouse had shredded in the wash.
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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.
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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.
noun
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a long narrow strip or fragment torn or cut off
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a very small piece or amount; scrap
verb
Other Word Forms
- shredder noun
- shredless adjective
- shredlike adjective
- unshredded adjective
Etymology
Origin of shred
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Arteta and his coaching staff gradually revived Arsenal's flagging spirits, firing them up so effectively that they tore Tottenham to shreds for the second time this season.
From Barron's
It was the longest journey any English team had ever made for a Champions League knockout game, but there was no sign of fatigue as Newcastle ripped Qarabag to shreds.
From Barron's
Picture a burrito bowl layered in reds and greens: cabbage slaw, sweet corn, charred bell peppers, red onion, shredded lettuce, jalapeños.
From Salon
He pulled the letter back out of his pocket and ripped it into shreds.
From Literature
Nim’s beautiful island was shredded and messy with bits of hut, pieces of shirts and desk, coconuts, palm branches, broken trees, and lying-down bushes.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
