screed
/skɹiːd/US/skɹid/
screed noun: a piece of writing (such as an article, letter, or list) or a speech, especially if long.
Noun (1)
screed (plural screeds)
- A piece of writing (such as an article, letter, or list) or a speech, especially if long.
- Eh, Mr Henry! but the carle gae him a screed o' doctrine! Ye might hae heard him a mile down the wind—He routed like a cow in a fremd loaning.1816, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter I, in Tales of My Landlord, […], volume III (Old Mortality), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for William Blackwood, […]...
- I see it's three o'clock in the morning and I've written whole screeds when I only intended to write a short note!1995, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, “The Marquise de Merteuil to the Vicomte de Valmont: 12 August 17——”, in Douglas Parmée, transl., Les Liaisons dangereuses (Oxford World’s Classics), Oxford...
- A speech or piece of writing which contains angry and extended criticism.
- When he [Herman Melville] had finished the first part of his novel [Pierre; or, The Ambiguities], and printed it, the publishers would have nothing to do with it. They claimed they had been deluded into accepting a villainous and blasphemous screed against religion and morality and all right living.1939, Patrick Francis Quinn, “Pierre”, in The Fatalism of Herman Melville (unpublished B.A. and M.A. dissertation), Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin, →OCLC, page 76
- One of our primary tasks is to replace racist screeds like The Bell Curve and The End of Racism with sound economic arguments that are relatively simple to understand and yet serious enough to encompass divergent points of view.1999, Marcellus Andrews, “A Preface in Three Parts: Economics as a Razor”, in The Political Economy of Hope and Fear: Capitalism and the Black Condition in America, New York, N.Y.; London: New York...
- Synonyms:
- harangue, polemic, rant, tirade, diatribe, admonition, condemnation, dithyramb, impugnation, j'accuse
- Chiefly in the plural form screeds: a large quantity.
- It uses a lot of footage of Japanese actors, and screeds of character text, making it unlikely to see a European release.1995 April, Mean Machines Sega, number 30, page 13
- Compared to LOB [the Lancaster-Oslo-Bergen Corpus], the BNC [British National Corpus] is an anarchic object, containing 'texts' from 25 to 250,000 words long, screeds of painfully formulaic entries from the Dictionary of National Biography, conversations monosyllabic and incoherent, sermons...2001, Adam Kilgarriff, “Web as Corpus”, in Geoffrey Sampson, Diana McCarthy, editors, Corpus Linguistics: Readings in a Widening Discipline, London; New York, N.Y.: Continuum, published 2005, →ISBN...
- A tool, usually a long strip of wood or other material, placed on a floor to be covered with concrete, a wall to be plastered, etc., as a guide for producing a smooth, flat surface.
- When applied to large surfaces, strips or screeds of wood should be fixed to float from; and when the plain surface is formed, it is finished with the handfloat.1833, James Gallier, “Of Oil Mastic”, in The American Builder’s General Price Book and Estimator, […], New York, N.Y.: […] [Minard] Lafever and [James] Gallier, […] Stanley & Co., […], →OCLC, page 42
- The term Screed, in plastering, is a stile formed of lime and hair, about seven or eight inches wide, gauged exactly true. In floated-work these screed are made at every three or four feet distance, vertically round a room, and are prepared perfectly straight by applying the straight-edge to them...1841, Minard Lafever, “Plastering”, in The Modern Builders’ Guide, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: William D. Smith, →OCLC, page 104
- A tool such as a long strip of wood or other material which is drawn over a wet layer of concrete, plaster, etc., to make it smooth and flat; also, a machine that achieves this effect; a screeder.
- The screeds and vibrator on the machine finisher are set to give the proper surface elevation and produce a dense concrete. In most cases, there should be a sufficiently thick layer of mortar ahead of the screed to insure that all low spots will be filled. The vibrator follows the front screed and...1973, T. W. Love, “Finishing Concrete”, in Construction Manual: Concrete & Formwork, Carlsbag, Calif.: Craftsman Book Company, published 2001, →ISBN, page 129
- Synonyms:
- strickle
- A smooth, flat layer of concrete, plaster, or similar material, especially if acting as a base for paving stones, tiles, wooden planks, etc.
- [T]wo workmen, provided with a tub of putty and a quantity of plaster of Paris, proceed to run the cornice. Before using the mould, they gauge a screed of putty and plaster upon the wall and ceiling, covering so much of each as will correspond with the top and bottom of the intended cornice. On...1830, John Nicholson, “Plastering”, in The Builder’s Practical Guide: Containing a Complete Explanation of the Principles of Science, as Applied to Every Branch of Building: […], London: […]...
- A few early churches were floored with a screed of weak concrete, after the Roman fashion, the ingredients being lime mortar and crushed brick (opus signinum).1998, Warwick Rodwell, “The Archaeology of Church and Cathedral Floors”, in Jane Fawcett, editor, Historic Floors: Their Care and Conservation (Butterworth-Heinemann Series in Conservation and...
- A piece or narrow strip cut or torn off from a larger whole; a shred.
- "Weel done!" cried Mrs. Smith. "I trow ye gae her a screed o' your mind!"1813, William David Evans, “Letter I”, in Letters on the Legal Disabilities of Roman Catholics and Dissenters; and on the Dangers Apprehended from Their Removal, London: […] J. Ridgeway, […], →OCLC...
- The housewife hastens in the gleaming sun, / With watering-pan to sprinkle when it needs / The bleaching cloth which her own fingers spun, / Stretch'd on the orchard sward in whitening screeds; [...]1824, “A Summer Morning”, in The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, volume XI, number XLVII, London: […] Henry Colburn […], →OCLC, page 472
- Synonyms:
- scrid
- A piece of land, especially one that is narrow.
- And it be further Enacted, That in all Caſes where any of the Lands and Grounds by this Act intended to be divided and incloſed ſhall adjoin on any Freeboard, Screed, or Parcel of Land left on the Outſide of the Fences of any adjoining Pariſh, Townſhip, or Place, which ſhall run into any of the...[1795], An Act for Dividing, Allotting, Inclosing, Draining, and Improving the Commons and Waste Grounds, within the Several Parishes of Epworth, Haxey, Belton, and Owston, in the Isle of Axholme, in...
- A rent, a tear.
- Yet when a tale comes i' my head, / Or laſſes gie my heart a ſcreed, / As whiles they're like to be my dead, / (O ſad diſeaſe!) / I kittle up my ruſtic reed; / It gies me ease.1786, Robert Burns, “To W. S*****n, Ochiltree. May—1785”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, volume I, Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] John Wilson, →OCLC; reprinted Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] James...
Verb (1)
screed (third-person singular simple present screeds, present participle screeding, simple past and past participle screeded)
- To rend, to shred, to tear.
- It's no very like the land o' the leal here—d'ye think it is?—wi' this cauld soakit sand anaith ye, and you in thae screeded duds, and us twa in our sark sleeves. [Footnote: Land o' the leal, land of the faithful—heaven. Screeded duds, torn rags. Sark sleeves, shirt sleeves.]1869 October, “Beyond Breakers”, in Lippincott’s Magazine of Literature, Science and Education, volume IV, Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott and Co., →OCLC, chapter XXXIV (For Life)...
- To read or repeat from memory fluently or glibly; to reel off.
- He'll ſcreed you aff Effectual Calling, / As faſt as ony in the dwalling.— [...]1801, Robert Burns, “The Inventory. In Answer to a Mandate by the Surveyor of the Taxes.”, in Poems Ascribed to Robert Burns, the Ayrshire Bard, […], Glasgow: […] Chapman & Lang, for Thomas Stewart...
- Syne the hale kintra's clashes he screeds them aff han'— / He's a gabbin' bit birkie, the Auld Beggar Man.1835, Robert Nicoll, “The Auld Beggar Man”, in Poems and Lyrics, Edinburgh: William Tait; London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.; Dublin: John Cumming, →OCLC, page 11
- To use a screed to produce a smooth, flat surface of concrete, plaster, or similar material; also (generally) to put down a layer of concrete, plaster, etc.
- For this surfacing, the concrete is screeded and then covered with crushed red granite of 2- to 2½-in. size which is spread with shovels on the wet concrete, the quantity averaging about 55 lb. of stone per square yard.1924 February 21, “Rebuilding a Section of Street Railway at Milwaukee”, in Frank C. Wright, editor, Engineering News-Record, volume 92, number 8, New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Company, →ISSN, →OCLC...
- Pouring of the slab was then started and, as the concrete was brought to full height it was screeded off to the proper level, employing screed guides which had been set previously to true elevation, with support on the slab reinforcing.1939 July 15, “C.N.R. Build More Long-span Concrete Bridges”, in Samuel O. Dunn, editor, Railway Age, volume 107, number 3, Philadelphia, Pa.: Simmons-Boardman Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 107...
- To become rent or torn.
- [H]ad I been in ony o' your rotten French camlets now, or your drab-de-berries, it would hae screeded like an auld rag wi' sic a weight as mine.1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Rob Roy. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst...
Noun (2)
screed (plural screeds)
- A (discordant) sound or tune played on bagpipes, a fiddle, or a pipe.
- "Wi' hat in hand," sweet lass, quo I, / "Wer't in my power to sooth thy sigh, / My hame-bor'd whistle I wad try, / An' gie't a screed, / Atween whar Tiviot murmurs by, / An' bonny Tweed."1811, Andrew Scott, “Answer to Mr. J. M.’s Epistle”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, Kelso, Roxburghshire: […] Alexander Leadbetter, for the author; and sold by W[illiam] Creech, […]...
- The sound of something scratching or tearing.
- Right o'er the ſteep he leans, / When his well-pleniſh'd king-hood voiding needs; / And, ſploiting, ſtrikes the ſtane his grany hit, / Wi' piſtol ſcreed, ſhot frae his gorlin doup.— [...]1789, David Davidson, “Spring”, in Thoughts on the Seasons, &c. Partly in the Scottish Dialect, London: […] the author; and sold by J[ohn] Murray, […]; and W[illiam] Creech, […], →OCLC, page 34
Verb (2)
screed (third-person singular simple present screeds, present participle screeding, simple past and past participle screeded)
- To play bagpipes, a fiddle, or a pipe.
- [T]wa Cheels we White Sarks, and a wee Wean with a white Sark got aboon whar the Whiſtle-Pipes war, the yen lilted, and the other Skirled and Screeded till them, and ſtill I ſweeted, I thought they never wad hea done.1731 May 16, “The North-Country-Man’s Description of Christ-Church; in a Letter to a Friend. Portferry, May 6th. 1731. [Julian calendar]”, in James Row, The Wounds o’ the Kirk o’ Scotland: In a...
- To make a discordant or harsh scratching or tearing sound.
- To play (a sound or tune) on bagpipes, a fiddle, or a pipe.
- In life's gay morn, or youthfu' prime, / Ere fancy droops her wing, / Screed up your reed, for that's the time / For bards to rant and sing; [...]1811, Andrew Scott, “Epistle to a Brother Poet”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, Kelso, Roxburghshire: […] Alexander Leadbetter, for the author; and sold by W[illiam] Creech, […], →OCLC...
Adjective
screed (not comparable)
screed meaning in Tamil, Urdu and Kannada
screed in Tamil
- மூடு கொங்கிறீற்று
screed in Urdu
- پٹی
screed in Kannada
- ಬೇಸರ ಹಿಡಿಸುವ, ಸುದೀರ್ಘವಾದ ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸ, ಸುದೀರ್ಘವಾದ ಲೇಖನ
Examples of screed in a sentence
- Gliddon produced an equally popular screed entitled Types of Mankind.2008, Harriet A. Washington, “Southern Discomfort”, in Medical Apartheid, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, page 53:
- One of the more regular correspondents to the club was an Everton fan, who'd send in an abusive screed each time Albion were due to play on Merseyside.2014 July 25, Paul Rees, “‘We got off the coach and the National Front was there … People spat at us’”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The...
- The term Screed, in plastering, is a stile formed of lime and hair, about seven or eight inches wide, gauged exactly true.1841, Minard Lafever, “Plastering”, in The Modern Builders’ Guide, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: William D. Smith, →OCLC, page 104:
- The use of timber battens as screeds makes it easy to get the floating coat flat.1991, Robert Matthews, “Plastering”, in Practical House Building: A Manual for the Selfbuilder, Leicester, Leicestershire: Blackberry...
Synonyms of screed
Forms of screed
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | screeds |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | screeds |
| present participle | screeding |
| past participle | screeded |
| past | screeded |
Origin of screed
From Middle English screde [and other forms], a variant of shrede (“fragment, scrap; strip of cloth; strip cut off from a larger piece; band or thread woven into fabric; element, streak”) (whence shred (noun)), from Old English sċrēad, sċrēade (“a piece cut off; paring, shred”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudō (“a piece, shred; a cut, crack”), from *skraudaną (“to cut up, shred”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off”). The English word is cognate with Old Frisian skrēd. Doublet of escrow, scroll, and shred.
From Middle English screde, Early Middle English screda, a variant of shreden, shrede (“to chop, cut up, hack; to cut to shape; to maim, wound; to prune, trim”) [and other forms] (whence shred (verb)), from Old English scrēadian (“to cut up, shred; to cut off, prune”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudaną (“to cut up, shred”), see further at etymology 1; later uses are derived from the noun screed.
Probably imitative; compare screech, skreigh.
Words formed from screed
Words that rhyme with screed
48 more rhymesFewer rhymes
- proceed
- stampede
- concede
- accede
- deed
- exceed
- need
- bede
- knead
- mislead
- plead
- rede
- swede
- cede
- creed
- godspeed
- heed
- intercede
- keyed
- leed
- meed
- precede
- recede
- tumbleweed
- a friend in need is a friend indeed
- beread
- greed
- he'd
- indeed
- interbreed
- kneed
- mead
- secede
- she'd
- sneed
- steed
- supersede
- underfeed
- we'd
- ye'd
- agreed
- anasheed
- aniseed
- atheed
- caid
- co-feed
- cofeed
- counterplead
Questions about screed
- What does screed mean?
- Screed means a piece of writing (such as an article, letter, or list) or a speech, especially if long.
- What is screed in Tamil?
- Screed in Tamil is மூடு கொங்கிறீற்று. See Screed meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use screed in a sentence?
- Gliddon produced an equally popular screed entitled Types of Mankind.
- What part of speech is screed?
- Screed can be a noun, a verb or an adjective.
- How do you pronounce screed?
- Screed is pronounced /skɹiːd/ (UK).
- What is the plural of screed?
- The plural of screed is screeds.
Words near screed in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: screed (page history and authors); screed (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); screed (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); screed (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-screed.wav.
Cite this entry: “screed.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/screed. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.