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⇱ shrew - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

shrew

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈʃruː/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ʃru/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(shro̅o̅)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
shrew1 /ʃru/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a woman who is easily angered and has a strong, violent temper.
shrew•ish, adj. 

shrew2 /ʃru/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Mammalsa small, mouselike, insect-eating mammal that has a long, sharp snout.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
shrew1  (shro̅o̅),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a woman of violent temper and speech;
    termagant.
  • 1200–50; Middle English; special use of shrew2
shrew′like′, adj. 
    virago, nag, scold.
shrew2  (shro̅o̅),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Mammalsany of several small, mouselike insectivores of the genus Sorex and related genera, having a long, sharp snout.
  • Middle English (only in compounds), Old English scrēawa bef. 900

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shrew /ʃruː/ n
  1. Also called: shrewmouse any small mouse-like long-snouted mammal, such as Sorex araneus (common shrew), of the family Soricidae: order Insectivora (insectivores)
Etymology: Old English scrēawa; related to Old High German scrawaz dwarf, Icelandic skröggr old man, Norwegian skrugg dwarf
'shrew' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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