n. 1 any small usu. insect-eating mouselike mammal of the family Soricidae, with a long pointed snout. 2 a bad-tempered or scolding woman. shrewish adj. (in sense 2). shrewishly adv. shrewishness n.
[ OE screawa, scrwa shrew-mouse: cf. OHG scrawaz dwarf, MHG schrawaz etc. devil ]