noun
- small mammals with pointed snouts that eat insects and other small creatures
- bad-tempered or nagging women
Usage: offensive; archaic
Examples
- The tiny shrews scurried through the fallen leaves searching for insects.
- Shrews have very high metabolisms and must eat frequently to survive.
- Water shrews can dive underwater to hunt for small fish and aquatic insects.
- The garden was home to several species of shrews that helped control pest populations.
- Shrews are among the smallest mammals in North America.
- Despite their size, shrews are fierce predators in their ecosystem.