shrew
noun
[ ʃruː ]
• a small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse, with a long pointed snout and tiny eyes.
• a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman.
• "hold your nagging tongue, you miserable old shrew!"
Similar:
virago,
dragon,
termagant,
vixen,
cat,
fishwife,
witch,
hellcat,
she-devil,
tartar,
spitfire,
hag,
gorgon,
harridan,
fury,
ogress,
harpy,
battleaxe,
old bag,
old bat,
bitch,
cow,
targe,
scold,
Xanthippe,
Origin:
Old English scrēawa, scrǣwa, of Germanic origin; related words in Germanic languages have senses such as ‘dwarf’, ‘devil’, or ‘fox’.
