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shrew
1[ shroo ]
/ ʃru /
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noun
a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant.
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Origin of shrew
11200–50; Middle English; special use of shrew2
OTHER WORDS FROM shrew
shrewlike, adjectiveWords nearby shrew
shred, shredded wheat, shredder, shredding, Shreveport, shrew, shrewd, shrewdie, shrewdness, shrewish, shrew mole
Other definitions for shrew (2 of 2)
shrew2
[ shroo ]
/ ʃru /
noun
any of several small, mouselike insectivores of the genus Sorex and related genera, having a long, sharp snout.
Origin of shrew
2before 900; Middle English (only in compounds), Old English scrēawa
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use shrew in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for shrew
shrew
/ (ʃruː) /
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 Related adjective: soricine
a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman
Word Origin for shrew
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
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