shrew

1
[ shroo ]
See synonyms for shrew on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant.

Origin of shrew

1
1200–50; Middle English; special use of shrew2

Other words for shrew

Other words from shrew

  • shrewlike, adjective

Words Nearby shrew

Other definitions for shrew (2 of 2)

shrew2
[ shroo ]

noun
  1. any of several small, mouselike insectivores of the genus Sorex and related genera, having a long, sharp snout.

Origin of shrew

2
before 900; Middle English (only in compounds), Old English scrēawa

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How to use shrew in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shrew

shrew

/ (ʃruː) /


noun
  1. 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 Related adjective: soricine

  2. a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman

Origin of shrew

1
Old English scrēawa; related to Old High German scrawaz dwarf, Icelandic skröggr old man, Norwegian skrugg dwarf

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012