shrew
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shrew
(shro͞o)n.
1. Any of various small, chiefly insectivorous mammals of the family Soricidae, resembling a mouse but having a long pointed snout and small eyes and ears. Also called shrewmouse.
2. A woman regarded as an ill-tempered scold or nag.
[Middle English shrewe, rascal, devil, evil creature, overbearing woman, from Old English scrēawa, shrewmouse.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
shrew
(ʃruː)n
1. (Animals) 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
2. a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman
[Old English scrēawa; related to Old High German scrawaz dwarf, Icelandic skröggr old man, Norwegian skrugg dwarf]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
shrew1
(ʃru)n.
a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant.
[1200–50; Middle English: villain, evildoer (of either sex)]
shrew2
(ʃru)n.
any of several small, mouselike, insect-eating mammals of the family Soricidae, having a long, sharp snout and small, poorly developed eyes.
[before 900; Old English scrēawa]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | shrew - a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman disagreeable woman, unpleasant woman - a woman who is an unpleasant person virago - a noisy or scolding or domineering woman yenta - (Yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant |
2. | shrew - small mouselike mammal with a long snout; related to moles insectivore - small insect-eating mainly nocturnal terrestrial or fossorial mammals family Soricidae, Soricidae - shrews common shrew, Sorex araneus - common American shrew masked shrew, Sorex cinereus - commonest shrew of moist habitats in North America Blarina brevicauda, short-tailed shrew - North American shrew with tail less than half its body length water shrew - any of several small semiaquatic shrews usually living near swift-flowing streams Cryptotis parva, least shrew - small brown shrew of grassy regions of eastern United States |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
shrew
1noun nag, fury, dragon (informal), spitfire, virago, vixen, harpy, harridan, termagant (rare), scold, Xanthippe, ballbreaker (slang) After the first visit he announced that his stepmother was a shrew.
shrew
2 nounRelated words
adjective soricine
adjective soricine
Shrews and other insectivores
desman, elephant shrew, mole, moon rat, shrew or shrewmouse, shrew mole, solenodon, star-nosed mole, tenrec, tree shrew, water shrewCollins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
shrew
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إمْرأه سَليطَة اللسان وشَرِسَة الطِّباعالزّبابه: حيوان يُشْبِه الفِئْران
dračicehubatá ženskárejsekzlá
rappenskralderivejernspidsmus
äkäpussipäästäinen
rovka
cickányhárpia
snjáldra, snjáldurmús
kirstukaspasiutėlė
cirsliskaška sievakurmisspitniece
diablicadračicapiskor
rovka
cadolozkır faresişirret
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
shrew
n → Spitzmaus f; (fig) → Xanthippe f; “The Taming of the Shrew” (Liter) → „Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung“
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
shrew
(ʃruː) noun1. a type of small mouse-like animal with a long, pointed nose.
2. an old word for an unpleasant woman with a violent temper and sharp tongue.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.