[shred] n [ME shrede, fr. OE screade; akin to OHG scrot piece cut off] (bef. 12c) 1 a: a long narrow strip cut or torn off b pl: a shredded, damaged, disrupted, or ruined condition "torn to ~s by an air attack"
2: particle, scrap "not a ~ of evidence"
[2]shred vb shred.ded ; shred.ding vt (bef. 12c) 1 archaic: to cut off
2: to cut or tear into shreds "shredded the documents"
3: demolish
2. "sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses --Charles Krauthammer" ~ vi: to come apart in or break up into shreds -- shred.der n