Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SHRAG'GER, n.

One that lops; one that trims trees. [Not in use.]

SHRANK, v. [pret. of Shrink, nearly obsolete.]

SHRAP, or SHRAPE, n.

A place baited with chaff to invite birds. [Not in use.]

SHRED, n.

1. A long narrow piece cut off; as, shreds of cloth. – Bacon.
2. A fragment; a piece; as, shreds of wit. – Swift.

SHRED, v.t. [pret. and pp. shred. Sax. screadan, to cut off; Sw. skraddare, a tailor.]

To cut into small pieces, particularly narrow and long pieces, as of cloth or leather. It differs from mince, which signifies to chop into pieces fine and short.

SHRED'DING, n.

That which is cut off; a piece. – Hooker.

SHRED'DING, ppr.

Cutting into shreds.

SHRED'LESS, a.

Having no shreds. Byron.

SHREW, n. [I know not the original sense of this word. If it signifies a brawler, it may be from D. schreeuwen, to brawl, G. schreien, Dan. skriger. But beshrew, in Chaucer, is interpreted to curse.]

1. A peevish, brawling, turbulent, vexatious woman. It appears originally to have been applied to males as well as females; but is now restricted to the latter. The man had got a shrew for his wife, and there could be no quiet in the house with her. – L'Estrange.
2. A shrew-mouse.

SHREW, v.t.

To beshrew; to curse. [Obs.] – Chaucer.

SHREWD, a.

1. Having the qualities of a shrew; vexatious; troublesome; mischievous. [Obs.] – Shak.
2. Sly; cunning; arch; subtil; artful; astute; as, a shrewd man.
3. Sagacious; of nice discernment; as, a shrewd observer of men.
4. Proceeding from cunning or sagacity, or containing it; as, a shrewd saying; a shrewd conjecture.
5. Painful; vexatious; troublesome. Every of this number / That have endur'd shrewd nights and days with us. [Obs.] – Shak. No enemy is so despicable but he may do one a shrewd turn. [Obs.] – L'Estrange.

SHREWD'LY, adv.

1. Mischievously; destructively. This practice bath most shrewdly past upon thee. – Shak. [Obs.]
2. Vexatiously; used of slight mischief. The obstinate and schismatical are like to think themselves shrewdly hurt by being cut from that body they chose not to be of. [Obs.] – South. Yet seem'd she not to wince, though shrewdly pain'd. [Obs.] – Dryden.
3. Archly; sagaciously; with good guess; as, I shrewdly suspect; he shrewdly observed. – Locke.

SHREWD'NESS, n.

1. Sly cunning; archness. The neighbors round admire his shrewdness. – Swift.
2. Sagaciousness; sagacity; the quality of nice discernment.
3. Mischievousness; vexatiousness. [Not in use.] – Chaucer.

SHREW'ISH, a.

Having the qualities of a shrew; forward; peevish; petulantly clamorous. My wife is shrewish when I keep not hours. – Shak.

SHREW'ISH-LY, adv.

Peevishly; clamorously; turbulently. He speaks very shrewishly. – Shak.

SHREW'ISH-NESS, n.

The qualities of a shrew; frowardness; petulance; turbulent clamorousness. I have no gift in shrewishness. – Shak.

SHREW'-MOUSE, n. [Sax. screawa.]

An insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse, but belonging to the genus Sorex; an animal that burrows in the ground, feeding on the larves of insects, &c. It is a harmless animal.

SHRIEK, n.

A sharp shrill outcry or scream, such as is produced by sudden terror or extreme anguish. Shrieks, clamors, murmurs fill the affrighted town. – Dryden.

SHRIEK, v.i. [Dan. skriger; Sw. skrika; G. schreien; D. schreijen; the two latter contracted; W. ysgreçian, from creç, a scream or shriek, also rough, rugged, Eng. to creak, whence screech, and vulgarly screak; hence W. ysgreç, a jay, from its scream; creg, hoarse, crygi, hoarseness, roughness, from the rout of ragged, and L. ruga, wrinkled, rugo, to bray; all from straining, and hence breaking, bursting, cracking; allied to crack and crackle, It. scricchiolare.]

To utter a sharp shrill cry; to scream; as in a sudden fright, in horror or anguish. At this she shriek'd aloud. – Dryden. It was the owl that shriek'd. – Shak.

SHRIEK'ING, ppr.

Crying out with a shrill voice.

SHRIEV'AL, a.

Pertaining to a sherif. [Not in use.]

SHRIEV'AL-TY, n. [from sheriff.]

Sherifalty; the office of a sherif. It was ordained by 28 Edw. 1. that the people shall have election of sherif in every shire, where the shrievalty is not of inheritance. – Blackstone.

SHRIEVE, n.

Sherif. [Not in use.]

SHRIFT, n. [Sax. scrift.]

Confession made to a priest. [Obs.] – Shak.

SHRIGHT, n.

A shriek. [Not in use.] – Spenser.