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View synonyms for shrew

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 calledshrewmouse any small mouse-like long-snouted mammal, such as Sorex araneus ( common shrew ), of the family Soricidae: order Insectivora (insectivores) See also water shrew soricine
  2. a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman
“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
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Other Words From

  • shrewlike adjective
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shrew1

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

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.

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

From Salon

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

I think about what it is to be a shrew and what goes into making a woman shrewish.

They included a horseshoe bat called Rhinolophus mabuensis and a dwarf musk shrew which scientists are still in the process of naming and describing.

From BBC

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Shreveportshrewd