shrew

shrew · noun¹

1. Norwegian · derived fromskrugg“dwarf”
2. Old High German · derived fromscrawaz“dwarf”
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)ker-“to cut; shorten; skimp”
4. Proto-Germanic · derived from*skrawwaz“thin; meagre; frail”
5. Old English · inherited fromsċrēawa“shrew”
6. Middle English · inherited fromschrewe
7. English todayshrew

From Middle English schrewe, from Old English sċrēawa (“shrew”), from Proto-Germanic *skrawwaz (“thin; meagre; frail”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut; shorten; skimp”). Cognates include Old High German scrawaz (“dwarf”), Norwegian skrugg (“dwarf”).

shrew · verb²

1. Middle English · derived fromschrewe
2. Middle English · inherited fromschrewen“to make evil; curse”
3. English todayshrew

From Middle English schrewen (“to make evil; curse”), from Middle English schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“wicked; evil; an evil person”).

Words from the same roots