Old English screadian "to peel, prune, cut off," from Proto-Germanic *skrauth- (cognates: Middle Dutch scroden, Dutch schroeien, Old High German scrotan, German schroten "to shred"), from root of shred, n.. Meaning "cut or tear into shreds" is from 1610s. Related: Shredded; shredding.

Old English screade "piece cut off, cutting, scrap," from Proto-Germanic *skrauth- (cognates: Old Frisian skred "a cutting, clipping," Middle Dutch schroode "shred," Middle Low German schrot "piece cut off," Old High German scrot, "scrap, shred, a cutting, piece cut off," German Schrot ""log, block, small shot"," Old Norse skrydda "shriveled skin"), from PIE *skreu- "to cut; cutting tool," extension of root *(s)ker- (1) "to cut" (see shear, v.).