[ ʃrʌɪv ]
■ verb ( past shrove ; past participle ~n ) archaic (of a priest) hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve.
↘( ~ oneself ) present oneself to a priest for confession, penance, and absolution.
Origin
OE scrīfan 'impose as a penance', of Gmc origin, from L. scribere 'write'.