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shrew

Etymology and origin of the English word shrew

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʃɹuː/, /ʃɹɪu̯/[1]

Etymology

It comes from Middle English shrewe “villain, rascal”,[2][3][4] from Old English scrēawa “shrewmouse”,[2][5][3][4][6] a word not found elsewhere in Germanic and of uncertain origin.[5][3] Etymonline mentions a possible link with a root meaning “to cut”, for the pointed snout.[3] The sense of a scolding person is traditionally explained by superstitions about the animal, which was thought to be venomous and harmful,[5][3] though the OED treats the two senses as separate words.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The animal is named in Old English (about 725).[7][5] The sense of a wicked person or rascal is recorded about 1225–50.[5][7]

Semantic evolution

From about 1300 the word was used especially for a scolding, bad-tempered woman,[5][3][7] which became its main figurative sense.[7][2] In the 16th and 17th centuries shrews and sheep were paired as the two contrasting types of wife.[3] Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is the best-known use.[1] The animal sense is not recorded between Old English and 1538.[5][3]

Timeline

  • about 725 – Old English scrēawa, the animal.[7]
  • about 1225 – schrewe, a rascal.[5]
  • about 1300 – a scolding woman.[5][3]
  • 1538 – the animal, again in English.[5]
  • 1565 – shrewish.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Any of various small, chiefly insectivorous mammals resembling mice, with a long pointed snout and small eyes.
  2. A bad-tempered, scolding or nagging woman; a scold.

Verb

  1. (obsolete) To curse.

Word family

  • shrewlike
  • shrewd
  • shrewish
  • shrew mole
  • beshrew
  • virago

Usage notes

Random House lists virago, nag and scold as synonyms.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Shrew.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/shrew. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·