screeds

Noun

screed (plural screeds)

1. 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, […]...
2. (broadly) 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religion and morality and all right living.1939, Patrick Francis Quinn, “Pierre”, in The Fatalism of Herman Melville (unpublished B.A. and M.A. dissertation), Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin, →OCLC, page 76

   Synonyms:

   harangue, polemic, rant, tirade, diatribe, admonition, condemnation, dithyramb, impugnation, j'accuse

3. 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
4. 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
5. 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

6. 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: […]...

See all 19 meanings of screed