I. ˈskrēd noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English screde, from Old English scrēade — more at shred
1.
a. dialect Britain : fragment ; especially : one torn off a piece of cloth : shred
b. dialect Britain : a strip of land
c. dialect England : a strip or band especially around the border of a cap
2. Scotland : rent , tear
3.
a. : a lengthy discourse : diatribe
b. : a piece of writing: as
(1) : a friendly letter
send me a screed … as often as you can — T.B.Aldrich
(2) : an informal essay, story, or dissertation
wrote a long screed … for the Edinburgh professor — John Buchan
4.
a. or screed strip : floating screed
b. : a strike board usually used to level up or strike off concrete pavement slabs or to cushion courses for block pavements
5. Scotland : a drinking bout
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English screden, from Old English scrēadian — more at shred
1. chiefly Scotland : rend , tear
2. : to smooth off with a screed
the plaster was laid on very evenly and then screeded off — Katharine S. Woods