Shred, shred, n. a long, narrow piece cut or torn off: a strip, fragment, particle.—v.t. to cut or tear into shreds.—n. Shred′ding, the act of cutting into shreds: a shred.—adjs. Shred′dy, consisting of shreds, ragged; Shred′less.—n. Shred′-pie, mince-pie. [A.S. screáde; Ger. schrot, Scot. screed.]
Shrew, shrōō, n. a brawling, troublesome woman: a scold: a family of insectivorous mammals closely resembling, in general form and appearance, the true mice and dormice—the head long, muzzle long and pointed.—adj. Shrewd, of an acute judgment: biting, keen: sly, malicious, wicked, cunning, vixenish.—adv. Shrewd′ly.—n. Shrewd′ness.—adj. Shrew′ish, having the qualities of a shrew: peevish and troublesome: clamorous.—adv. Shrew′ishly.—ns. Shrew′ishness; Shrew′-mole, a genus of insectivorous mammals of the family Talpidæ, very closely allied to the moles.—adj. Shrew′-struck, poisoned or blasted by a shrew. [A.S. screáwa, a shrew-mouse, its bite having been supposed venomous; cf. Ger. scher-maus, a mole.]
Shriek, shrēk, v.i. to utter a shriek: to scream.—v.t. to utter shriekingly.—n. the shrill outcry caused by terror or anguish—(Spens.) Schriech, Shright, Shrike.—ns. Shriek′er; Shriek′-owl (same as Screech-owl). [Screech.]
Shrieve, shrēv, v.t. (Spens.) same as Shrive.—n. Shriev′alty (same as Sheriffalty).
Shrift, shrift, n. a confession made to a priest: absolution—esp. of a dying man. [A.S. scrift—scrífan, to shrive.]
Shrike, shrīk, n. a genus of passerine birds which prey on insects and small birds, impaling its prey on thorns—hence called the Butcher-bird. [Ice. skríkja; cf. Shriek.]
Shrill, shril, adj. piercing: sharp: uttering an acute sound.—adjs. Shrill′-gorged (Shak.), shrill-throated; Shrill′ing (Spens.), sounding shrill.—n. Shrill′ness.—adjs. Shrill′-tongued, Shrill′-voiced (Shak.), having a shrill voice; Shrill′y, somewhat shrill.—adv. Shrill′y. [Skeat explains M. E. shril (Scotch skirl) as from Scand., Norw. skryla, skräla, to cry shrilly; cf. Low Ger. schrell.]
Shrimp, shrimp, n. a genus of edible crustaceans, of the order Decapoda, allied to lobsters, crayfish, and prawns: a little wizened or dwarfish person.—v.i. to catch shrimps.—ns. Shrimp′er, one who catches shrimps; Shrimp′ing, the act of catching shrimps; Shrimp′-net, a small-meshed net, on a hoop and pole, for catching shrimps. [Parallel to shrink; cf. Scotch scrimpit, pinched.]
Shrine, shrīn, n. a case or reliquary for relics: a sacred place: an altar: anything hallowed by its associations.—v.t. to enshrine.—adj. Shrī′nal. [A.S. scrín—L. scrinium—scribĕre, to write.]
Shrink, shringk, v.i. to contract: to wither: to occupy less space: to become wrinkled by contraction: to recoil, as from fear, disgust, &c.—v.t. to cause to shrink or contract: to withdraw:—pa.t. shrank, shrunk; pa.p. shrunk.—n. act of shrinking: contraction: withdrawal or recoil.—adj. Shrink′able.—ns. Shrink′age, a contraction into a less compass: the extent of the reduction of anything in bulk by shrinking, evaporation, &c.; Shrink′er.—adv. Shrink′ingly, in a shrinking manner: by shrinking. [A.S. scrincan; akin to Ger. schränken, to place obliquely.]