screed 
(skrēd)
(skrēd)n.
1. A long monotonous speech or piece of writing.
2.
a. A strip of wood, plaster, or metal placed on a wall or pavement as a guide for the even application of plaster or concrete.
b. A layer or strip of material used to level off a horizontal surface such as a floor.
c. A smooth final surface of a substance, such as concrete, applied to a floor.
[Middle English screde, fragment, strip of cloth, from Old English scrēade, shred.]