Shreddy

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or characterized by a tendency to tear or cut into thin strips; describing something that causes or results in shredding; resembling something torn or shredded
2. Having the quality of being easily torn into fragments or thin slices; pertaining to the act or process of cutting material into small strips; indicative of a shredded appearance or texture
3. Denoting an attribute of materials or objects that are shredded or torn into slender portions; associated with the action of shredding; exhibiting a fragmented or shredded state

Etymology: "Shreddy" is a plain formation: the noun "shred" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y", which turns a noun into a word meaning "having the qualities of" or "characterised by" that noun. So something shreddy is characterised by shreds, that is, torn or cut into thin strips. "Shred" itself is an older word, rooted in the idea of a cut-off piece or a strip cut from a larger whole, and the suffix "-y" has been attached to English nouns since Old English to build adjectives like "stony", "leafy" and "rainy". Because "shreddy" follows this pattern so directly, its meaning can be worked out from its parts without any special history attached to it.