shrew en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- shrū (dialectal)
- shro͞o
- /ʃɹuː/
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ʃɹɪu̯/ (dialectal)
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”).
Meanings
- Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae.
- Certain other small mammals that resemble true shrews.
-
(derogatory) An ill-tempered, nagging woman: a scold.
“Cease thy squalling, thou shrew!”
1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 88:The clerk had, I'm afraid, a shrew of a wife—shrill, vehement, and fluent. 'Rogue,' 'old miser,' 'old sneak,' and a great many worse names, she called him.
1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:His wife was a shrew with warts on her face and she spoke to him sharply when others were present, but Simcha did not complain.
1959, Mordecai Richler, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| shrow | alternative | lexicographic | |
| shrews | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Bendire's shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · tule shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · mole shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrewdom (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Tate's shrew rat (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · jumping shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Nelson's small-eared shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Elliot's short-tailed shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Himalayan shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · West Indies shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · erd shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · water shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · treeshrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · ornate shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · elephant shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · northern tree shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · hero shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · long-tailed shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · common shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · rock shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrew possum (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrew-faced squirrel (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Jesus shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · hardishrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrewd (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrewmouse (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrew-run (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · marsupial shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · armored shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · tree shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · tree-shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrew opossum (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Pearson's long-clawed shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrew mole (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrewly (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Sado shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · red-toothed shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · McCarthy's shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · marsh shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Saint Lawrence Island shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Sierra shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · true shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · house shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · otter shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · musk shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · slender shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrewish (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · shrewlike (terms derived from shrew (noun)) · Etruscan shrew (terms derived from shrew (noun))
Hypernyms
complainer · jerk · woman
Hyponyms
grimalkin · madam · common shrew (mouselike mammal)
Relateds
blowsabella · fury · hothead · hoyden · banshee · Xanthippe · spitfire · hotspur · Megaera
Synonyms
she-devil · scold · crow · harridan · ranny (mouselike mammal) · nag · faggot · shrew · dragon · harpy · cockatrice · battle axe · hellcat · fishwife · brim · vixen · nudnik · bitch · brimstone · virago · termagant · cat · witch · jade · soricid (mouselike mammal)
Translations (119)
de Megäre (woman) · tr kir faresi (mouselike animal) · pl sekutnica (woman) · sh rovčica (mouselike animal) · cs megera (woman) · ja 尖鼠 (mouselike animal) · az yereşən (mouselike animal) · fr musaraigne (mouselike animal) · da rappenskralde (woman) · oc musaranha (mouselike animal) · cs rejsek (mouselike animal) · rm misarogn (mouselike animal) · pt musaranho (mouselike animal) · ro chițcan (mouselike animal) · tl musaranya (mouselike animal) · gl arpella (woman) · fy pipermûs (mouselike animal) · fr furie (woman) · tr şirret (woman) · pt megera (woman) · ota سیوری صیچان (mouselike animal) · ang screawa (mouselike animal) · gd feòrlagan (mouselike animal) · be земляры́йка (mouselike animal) · cop ⲉⲙⲓⲙ (mouselike animal) · ca musaranya (mouselike animal) · gd dallag-an-fhraoich (mouselike animal) · eo soriko (mouselike animal) · enm schrewe (woman) · cs semetrika (woman) · et karihiir (mouselike animal) · tr cadı (woman) · af feeks (woman) · no kjerring (woman) · ru землеро́йка (mouselike animal) · cs xantipa (woman) · la mūs arāneus (mouselike animal) · el μυγαλή (mouselike animal) · sh rovka (mouselike animal) · nb spissmus (mouselike animal) · ko 뒤쥐 (mouselike animal) · grc μῡγᾰλέη (mouselike animal) · pl ryjówka (mouselike animal) · as চিকা (mouselike animal) · nv chį́į́shnézí (mouselike animal) · ar زَبَابَة (mouselike animal) · ru ве́дьма (woman) · cy llyg (mouselike animal) · tr sivri fare (mouselike animal) · mk ровка (mouselike animal) · hu cickány (mouselike animal) · sh ровчица (mouselike animal) · sh ровка (mouselike animal) · cmn 鼩鼱 (mouselike animal) · nn skjerd (mouselike animal) · pl hetera (woman) · fa موش شبگرد (mouselike animal) · fi äkäpussi (woman) · br minoc'h (mouselike animal) · sk megera (woman) · bg земеро́вка (mouselike animal) · se vánddis (mouselike animal) · ast topu ratu (mouselike animal) · uk землери́йка (mouselike animal) · fi päästäinen (mouselike animal) · is snjáldurmús (mouselike animal) · cmn 潑婦 /泼妇 (woman) · cs rachomejtle (woman) · ko 첨서 (mouselike animal) · scn magara (woman) · ru меге́ра (woman) · frp musèt (mouselike animal) · it toporagno (mouselike animal) · vi chuột chù (mouselike animal) · ga dallóg fhraoigh (mouselike animal) · pl zołza (woman) · ta மூஞ்சூறு (mouselike animal) · he מִרְשַׁעַת (woman) · nl spitsmuis (mouselike animal) · kk жертесер (mouselike animal) · gl musgaño (mouselike animal) · eo megero (woman) · es musaraña (mouselike animal) · eu satitsu (mouselike animal) · th หนูผี (mouselike animal) · my ကြွက်စုတ် (mouselike animal) · ltg ciersleits (mouselike animal) · fo trantmús (mouselike animal) · is snjáldra (mouselike animal) · tyz cà rìa (mouselike animal) · ro megeră (woman) · el νανομυγαλίδα (mouselike animal) · af skeerbekmuis (mouselike animal) · sl rovka (mouselike animal) · lv cirslis (mouselike animal) · sv ragata (woman) · lt kirstukas (mouselike animal) · la sōrex (mouselike animal) · mt ġurdiem ta’ geddumu twil (mouselike animal) · de Spitzmaus (mouselike animal) · la mūsarāneus (mouselike animal) · gl furaño (mouselike animal) · cs saň (woman) · nn spissmus (mouselike animal) · fr mégère (woman) · scn mavara (woman) · jv curut (mouselike animal) · sv argbigga (woman) · id celurut (mouselike animal) · ne छुचुन्द्रो (mouselike animal) · ro scorpie (woman) · hy սրընչակ (mouselike animal) · ka ბიგა (mouselike animal) · ast musgañu (mouselike animal) · sk piskor (mouselike animal) · cmn 尖鼠 (mouselike animal) · da spidsmus (mouselike animal) · sv näbbmus (mouselike animal) · scn majara (woman)