shrew
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
-
Also called: shrewmouse. any small mouse-like long-snouted mammal, such as Sorex araneus ( common shrew ), of the family Soricidae: order Insectivora (insectivores) See also water shrew
-
a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shrew1
1200–50; Middle English; special use of shrew 2
Origin of shrew2
before 900; Middle English (only in compounds), Old English scrēawa
Explanation
Use the noun shrew — at your own risk — to refer to a woman who is argumentative, nagging, and ill tempered. The noun shrew can also refer to a mouse-like animal with tiny eyes, a long snout, and a sharp bite. Superstitions associated with this small mammal led people in the thirteenth century to use the word shrew to describe a spiteful person, male or female. The word later came to be used to describe a nagging, ill-tempered woman, as in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Unless you are a famous dead author, however, you may want to steer clear of this one in conversation: it’s considered offensive.
Vocabulary lists containing shrew
Amazing Animals, A-Z
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Amazing Animals, List 3
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Queen of the Sea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The tree shrew had the highest intake at 1.4 g/kg/day, while the honeybee had the lowest at 0.05 g/kg/day.
From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026
The trio set up a white background on the bottom of the box that held the shrew and glass on the top so they could take the photos, according to the news outlet.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2025
They included a horseshoe bat called Rhinolophus mabuensis and a dwarf musk shrew which scientists are still in the process of naming and describing.
From BBC • Jul. 15, 2024
The shrew label never worked on her because her unabashed confidence and conviction were always painted as her strengths.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2024
As complete darkness descended, a shrew sneaked up through the grass and tapped Matthias’s shoulder.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
