/ ʃred; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
( -dd- ) [ vn ] to cut or tear sth into small pieces :
Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce.
He was accused of shredding documents relating to the case (= putting them in a shredder ) .
■ noun
1.
[ usually pl. ] a small thin piece that has been torn or cut from sth
SYN scrap :
shreds of paper
His jacket had been torn to shreds by the barbed wire.
2.
[ usually sing. ] shred of sth (used especially in negative sentences) a very small amount of sth :
There is not a shred of evidence to support his claim.
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IDIOMS
- in shreds
- pick / pull / tear sb/sth to pieces / shreds
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WORD ORIGIN
late Old English scrēad piece cut off , scrēadian trim, prune , of West Germanic origin; related to shroud .