It dates more gender-neutrally to Middle English, ca. Shrew, any of more than 350 species of insectivores having a mobile snout that is covered with long sensitive whiskers and overhangs the lower lip. shrew. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Next were short-tailed shrews, with reddish teeth and venomous saliva. Grumio: For he fears none.” ― William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew poet. Did you know my uncle faked his death to escape Any of numerous small mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae.. An ill-tempered, nagging woman: a scold.. shrew synonyms: ranny. Shrew (adj) originally, a brawling, turbulent, vexatious person of either sex, but now restricted in use to females; a brawler; a scold. Definition of shrew noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Her popularity is up, her guard is down, and her image as a shrew is a relic of the past. Discover The Origins Of These Cooking Tool Names, The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The Day, The Dictionary.com Word Of The Year For 2020 Is …. Definition ... the shrewd woman was a shrew 2 4 . a woman with an unpleasant personality. figurative, pejorative (nagging woman) mégère nf nom féminin: s'utilise avec les articles "la", "l'" (devant une voyelle ou un h muet), "une". Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. [8][better source needed] In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Katherina "has a scolding, shrewish tongue," thus prompting Petruchio to try and tame her. [10] Historically, the animals called shrews were superstitiously feared, falsely believed to have a venomous bite and to behave aggressively and with cruelty,[12] leading to the now-obsolete word beshrew, 'to curse or invoke evil upon'. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary elephant shrew n any small active African mammal of the family Macroscelididae and order Macroscelidea, having an elongated nose, large ears, and long hind legs Sadly, many women are unaware or unconcerned about the toxins that continually drip from their lips. Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you. Information and translations of shrew in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on … abuse of animals, usually cats, in front of the wife). There will … Shrewd definition: A shrewd person is able to understand and judge a situation quickly and to use this... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples “Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time. SINCE 1828 GAMES BROWSE THESAURUS WORD OF THE … Cookies help us deliver our services. Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary elephant shrew n any small active African mammal of the family Macroscelididae and order Macroscelidea, having an elongated nose, large ears, and long hind legs Shrew: a bad-tempered scolding woman. You forced him to die alone with your sneering face, while your shrew of a wife counted cards downstairs. Definition of SHREW (noun): small animal like mouse with pointed nose; woman who always complains, argues, or nags Join Macmillan Dictionary on Twitter and … [2], This basic plot structure typically involves a series of recurring motifs:[2] A man, often young and penniless, marries a woman with shrewish or other negative qualities (laziness, etc. What gives tree shrews their drinking superpower, however, remains a mystery. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, [1] in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a … We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Characteristics All shrews are tiny, most no larger than a mouse. Are you a shrew? He described the use of the word in reference to males as "ancient",[15] but also quoted Shakespeare using it to satirise a man by likening him to the shrewish woman central to his play: "By this reckoning he is more shrew than she. Synonyms: battle-ax, dragon lady, fury… Find the right word. definition of shrew : a small animal that looks like a mouse with a long, pointed nose, an unpleasan... shrew [ˈʃruː] 1 shrew noun a small animal that looks like a mouse with a long, pointed nose an unpleasant, bad-tempered woman The trouble is, shrew-like behavior can become a habit. Shrew definition is - any of a family (Soricidae) of small chiefly nocturnal insectivores related to the moles and distinguished by a long pointed snout, very small eyes, and short velvety fur. Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative? 450-1100)-language text, Articles containing Old Norse-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 January 2021, at 04:06. (noun) An example of a shrew... Any of various small, chiefly insectivorous mammals of the family Soricidae, resembling a mouse but Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary. shrew - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Mein Profil What does shrew mean? [2] She may have a more docile but unavailable younger sister, for contrast, and/or an even more shrewish mother. shrew definition in English dictionary, shrew meaning, synonyms, see also 'shrew mole',elephant shrew',otter shrew',tree shrew'. What does shrew mean? Shrew definition: A shrew is a small brown animal like a mouse with a long pointed nose . What are synonyms for shrew? Such characters usually wore long gowns that gave them a feminine appearance in an era when female characters were played by men or boys, and were dressed similarly. ... A vicious and scolding woman, especially an older one. What's so appealing about the love interpretation is that Shrew becomes, not a soppy romance, but a subtle critique of society's attitudes to women, already changing in Shakespeare's time. [6], Being a "common scold" was once a petty criminal offense in the early-modern law of England and Wales and of colonial New England, during the 16th through 18th centuries. Definition of the-taming-of-the-shrew in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Take the quiz below to find out: 1. ), for her dowry or other reasons unrelated to love, despite another trying to talk him out of it. (shro͞o) n. 1. Definition of shrew in English: shrew Pronunciation /SHro o/ /ʃru/ See synonyms for shrew Translate shrew into Spanish noun 1 A small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse, with a … We've listed any clues from our database that match your search. Soric′ident, having teeth like the shrew; Sor′icine, pertaining to the shrew-mouse; Sor′icoid, soricine. This stereotype or cliché was common in early- to mid-20th-century films, and retains some present-day currency,[2] often shifted somewhat toward the virtues of the stock female character of the heroic virago. 1150–1200, as scold or scald (unrelated to the 'burn' sense, from Old French), and probably derives from Old Norse skáld, 'a skald', i.e. 2. shrew. All Free. Female characters actually named Termagant appear in works including Thomas Shadwell's play The Squire of Alsatia (1688),[21] and Arthur Murphy's play The Upholsterer (1758),[22] while Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) uses the word generically, to refer to the main character's wife. Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012. a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant. n. 1. The word untamed shows that she can go crazy and do some stupid things whilst she's being an untamed shrew … At The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment event on Wednesday, ... the definition of the word 'shrew' as pertains to a woman is technically 'a woman of violent temper and speech.' When a woman is very angry with everyone in the world for no reason. Etymology: [See Shrew, a.] before 900; Middle English (only in compounds), Old English, Dictionary.com Unabridged Harridan definition, a scolding, vicious woman; hag; shrew. Shrew definition: A shrew is a small brown animal like a mouse with a long pointed nose . [5] The term shrew is still used to describe the stock character in fiction and folk storytelling. They included the imposition of the ducking stool, pillory, jougs, a shrew's fiddle, or a scold's bridle. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la shrew significado, definição shrew: 1. an animal like a small mouse but with a longer pointed nose and small eyes 2. an unpleasant… One of a man’s biggest needs is to feel respected. 1 A small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse, with a long pointed snout and tiny eyes. [2] Many of these elements, including denial of food (through trickery) and psychological manipulation (without animal abuse), were reused by William Shakespeare in his play The Taming of the Shrew, which closes with the reformed shrew giving a monologue on why wives should always obey their husbands. the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude. ", "Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and the Tradition of Screwball Comedy", Sly, ovvero La leggenda del dormiente risvegliato, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shrew_(stock_character)&oldid=1002590072, Articles lacking reliable references from June 2017, Articles containing Middle English (1100-1500)-language text, Articles containing Old English (ca. shrew Bedeutung, Definition shrew: 1. an animal like a small mouse but with a longer pointed nose and small eyes 2. an unpleasant…. The similar term harridan, widely also considered a synonym of shrew,[1] originated as a late-17th-century slang term for 'aging prostitute' (probably from 16th-century French haridelle, 'old horse', in metaphor a 'gaunt, ill-favoured woman'). ness n. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Virago definition, a loud-voiced, ill-tempered, scolding woman; shrew. Definition of shrew. Shrew, and John Fletcher’s The Woman’s Prize; or, The Tamer Tamed, and later, Mary Frith in Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker’s The Roaring Girl . shrew /ʃɹuː/ Definitions. What does shrew mean? All shrews are tiny, most no larger than a mouse. ), As a synonym for the shrew in literature and theatre, the word termagant derives from the name Termagant, an invented, mock-Muslim, male deity used in mediaeval mystery plays, characterised as violent and overbearing. Can you guess what they mean? Another word for shrew. [27] To the extent the noun form retains any currency, some dictionaries observe that it can (unusually) be applied to males,[26] a recent re-development. Shrews synonyms, Shrews pronunciation, Shrews translation, English dictionary definition of Shrews. small mouselike mammal with a long snout; related to moles ; a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman ; Anagrams of shrew WERSH. 2. Scold, in its heyday, was not particularly limited to literary or theatrical contexts. Are you learning Spanish? ‘His wife is either a manipulative shrew or a patient, generous, supportive soul, depending on the perspective of the scene.’ ‘There is no nod to our more politically-correct culture for women still come in for classic stereotyping: his wife is a nagging shrew.’ "Examples of the Motif of the Shrew in European Literature and Film", "The Taming of the Shrew Analysis: What's Up With The Title? In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Katherina "has a scolding, shrewish tongue," thus prompting Petruchio to try and tame her. Shrew, any of more than 350 species of insectivores having a mobile snout that is covered with long sensitive whiskers and overhangs the lower lip. 1. She nags allot and won't bow to the whims of men. What does termagant mean? Disrespecting. [10][11], Shrew derives from Middle English shrewe for 'evil or scolding person', used since at least the 11th century,[10] in turn from Old English scrēawa or scrǣwa, 'shrew' (animal);[5][10] cognates in other Germanic languages have divergent meanings, including 'fox', 'dwarf', 'old man', and 'devil'. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Why do we need to keep adding new words to the English language? Another word for shrew. Information and translations of termagant in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. [2], The taming process begins immediately after the marriage, and does not last long, sometimes only the wedding night itself. It was remade as a 2009 TV series, in which the "shrew" character is redeveloped into a serious-attitude activist. Get a Shrew mug for your coworker Georges. 動物, 鼩鼱, 婦女…. [2] Arising in folklore, in which community story-telling can have functions of moral censorship or suasion, it has served to affirm traditional values and moral authority regarding polarised gender roles, and to address social unease about female behavior in marriage. shrew definition in English dictionary, shrew meaning, synonyms, see also 'shrew mole',elephant shrew',otter shrew',tree shrew'. Definition of termagant in the Definitions.net dictionary. figurative, pejorative (nagging woman) ( figurado ) arpía nf nombre femenino : Sustantivo de género exclusivamente femenino, que lleva los artículos la o una en singular, y las o unas en plural. Also called shrewmouse. [9], More modern, figurative labels include battle-axe and dragon lady;[10] more literary alternatives (all deriving from mythological names) are termagant, harpy, and fury. All shrews are comparatively small, most no larger than a mouse. Shrew (adj) any small insectivore of the genus Sorex and several allied genera of the family Sorecidae. The largest species is the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus) of tropical Asia, which is about 15 cm (6 in) long and weighs around 100 g (4 oz) several are very small, notably the Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), which at about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) and 1.8 g (0.063 oz) is the smallest known living terrestrial mammal. The noun shrew can also refer to a mouse-like animal with tiny eyes, a long snout, and a … [5] The modern spelling dates to the 14th century. THESAURUS. the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid. A shrew is a woman who is quick to criticise and stand up for herself. Shrew definition: A shrew is a small brown animal like a mouse with a long pointed nose . As a reference to actual women, rather than the stock character, shrew is considered old-fashioned,[3][4] and the synonym scold (as a noun) is archaic. shrew - Dictionary definition and meaning for word shrew. The trouble is, shrew-like behavior can become a habit. [2] The theme is illustrated in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. Punishments varied by region, but were usually meant to humiliate the guilty party. A woman is a shrew when the venom in her words paralyzes or immobolizes her man, or when her attitude and/or words cause him pain and irritation. See more. And left unchecked, it can slowly errode and poison a relationship. Some of these include: Frivolous Wife, a 2008 South Korean film, in which the "shrew" attempts to change herself to become better accepted by her inlaws; ShakespeaRe-Told: The Taming of the Shrew, a 2005 British film, in which a politician seeks to reform her public relations image as an abrasive woman by getting married, but finds this challenging; Deliver Us from Eva, a 2003 American romantic comedy film, in which the boyfriends of three young sisters whose relationships are being micro-managed by an elder, troublesome fourth sister, hire a pickup artist to seduce this "shrew" and get them out of their lives, but he falls in love with her despite her ways not changing permanently. Definition of Shrew a woman with an unpleasant personality Examples of Shrew in a sentence My manager is a shrew who goes out of her way to make my workday unpleasant. traduction shrew dans le dictionnaire Anglais - Francais de Reverso, voir aussi 'shrewd',shred',shrewdness',share', conjugaison, expressions idiomatiques Recent information questions the taxonomic status of this shrew. She is generally outspoken, believes she has authority and can be aggressive . 1 Such women characters may also be known to include characteristics of being perverse, gossipy, obstinate, and unruly, and [10], By the middle 16th century, the opposing extremes of wifely personality traits were contrasted as "shrew" vs. Definition of shrew written for English Language Learners from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and count/noncount noun labels. The shrew – an unpleasant, ill-tempered woman characterised by scolding, nagging, and aggression[1] – is a comedic, stock character in literature and folklore, both Western and Eastern. shrews definition in English dictionary, shrews meaning, synonyms, see also 'shrew mole',elephant shrew',otter shrew',tree shrew'. Examples of Shrew in a sentence. Meaning of termagant. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021, Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Shows what shrew means... a vicious and scolding woman ; shrew ''... Are used like forceps to grab prey ; the upper pair is hooked, and what is an old-fashioned for!, discussion and forums die alone with your sneering face, while your shrew of a man s. Used to describe the stock character in fiction and folk storytelling need to keep adding new to! Than that of the family Sorecidae of numerous small mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of genus. Of it n. 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