shrew
Plural: shrews
Noun
- a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
- small mouselike mammal with a long snout; related to moles
- Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae.
- Certain other small mammals that resemble true shrews.
- An ill-tempered, nagging woman: a scold.
Verb
Verb Forms: shrewed, shrewing, shrews
- To scold or rail, typically in a harsh, nagging manner.
- To beshrew; to curse.
Examples
- He wouldn’t SHREW at his opponent, even after a bad play, maintaining good sportsmanship.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English *schrewe, from Old English sċrēawa (“shrew”), from Proto-Germanic *skrawwaz (“thin; meagre; frail”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut; shorten; skimp”). Cognates include Old High German scrawaz (“dwarf”), Norwegian skrugg (“dwarf”).
Synonyms
shrewmouse, termagant, battle axe, bitch, brim, brimstone, cat, crow, dragon, faggot, fishwife, harpy, harridan, hellcat, jade, nag, nudnik, ranny, scold, she-devil, shrew, soricid, virago, vixen, witch
Scrabble Score: 11
shrew: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordshrew: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
shrew: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary