shrew

¹

[shroo]

noun

1. a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant.

   Synonyms: scold, nag, virago

shrew

²

[shroo]

noun

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

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

2. a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman

Other Word Forms

• shrewlike adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrew¹

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

Example Sentences

Small animals like water voles and shrews, which live in burrows, can survive fast-moving fires but their habitats and the food they rely on are destroyed.

Read more on BBC

In one recent animal study, tree shrews were made to look at a digital device.

Read more on Salon

Lyell shrew, a mouse-like mammal that lives in the central Sierra Nevada, has never been photographed in the 100 years since it was discovered.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Historically, women wheelchair users in films are depicted as sad, confined women or vicious shrews.

Read more on Salon

For smaller omnivorous and carnivorous mammals such as masked palm civets or elephant shrews, nectar can act as a high-calorie supplement.

Read more on Science Magazine